A CRUCIAL children’s unit is to be temporarily axed because of "staffing pressures" at a hospital in the region, health bosses confirmed last night.

The special care baby unit at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, which treats seriously ill or premature infants, will be one of a number of services suspended from July 17.

Patients will be transferred to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, more than 22 miles away.

A spokesman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both sites, said retirements, long-term consultant sick leave and a shortage of doctors had led to the cuts.

Other Friarage services affected by yesterday’s announcement include paediatrics and ‘high-risk’ maternity services, for women who need continuous monitoring during their labour.

Last night, Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh and Northallerton mayor Tony Hall expressed regret at the decision, but said patient safety was paramount.

The Friarage’s special care baby unit looks after an average of 11 babies a month, with thousands of pounds raised locally every year to support it.

An average of 125 children a month attend the hospital as inpatients.

A midwifery unit will continue to run at the hospital, for women who expect their delivery to be straight-forward.

Children can also still attend outpatient appointments in Northallerton.

Health bosses stressed that the full range of services - including the special care baby unit - would return in the autumn.

Jill Moulton, the trust’s director of planning, said: "This decision has not been taken lightly and is entirely based on the safety and welfare of the children, babies and pregnant women we care for and treat and has been made in their best interests.

"As an interim measure, we have used agency staff and the remaining consultant staff have provided additional cover to support these services.

"This is unsustainable, both in the short and long-term, as all of these staff are now in need of leave.

"We must stress this is only a temporary measure and we have already successfully managed to appoint more consultants, who are due to start in the autumn."

Between 90 and 100 women give birth at the Friarage every month and the trust anticipates that about a third will be able to use the remaining midwifery unit.

Mrs Moulton said: "We know these arrangements mean the people of North Yorkshire are being offered a reduced service, but they are temporary, and our first priority has to be patient safety.

"This short-term measure will ensure we provide a safe service and release pressure on the existing team at the Friarage Hospital."

A leaflet detailing the changes, and what they mean for parents and parents-to-be, will be available from the Friarage shortly.

*** Last year, users of the social networking website Facebook formed a campaign group aimed at saving closure-threatened special care baby units across the North-East.

The group has almost 51,000 members.