COUNCIL leaders have criticised plans to axe a newlyopened specialist stroke unit.

Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet voiced crossparty opposition to a proposal to move the town’s stroke unit to Durham, when it met on Tuesday.

The Northern Echo revealed on Tuesday that Darlington Memorial Hospital’s eight-bed unit could be closed, only four months after it was transferred from Bishop Auckland.

NHS bosses said staffing problems and the need to provide round-the-clock cover had forced them to consider the centralisation of all acute stroke services at The University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City.

A verbal report was made to the council’s cabinet group as a result of Tuesday morning’s news.

Council leader John Williams said there had been no prior indication that the stroke unit may be moved to Durham.

He said: “It is absolutely ridiculous. Darlington is the main centre of population in the trust area. Darlington needs its own stroke unit.”

The leader of the council’s Conservative group, Councillor Heather Scott, made a plea for the proposals not to become a political issue.

Coun Scott, a member of the council’s health scrutiny committee, said that the scrutiny group had been promised it would be “first to be consulted” on any major decision.

She said senior members of the committee were due to have a regular briefing this week with the trust.

They had also previously raised concerns about the temporary nature of the stroke unit and had organised a tour tomorrow.

Coun Scott said: “I feel hugely betrayed by this.”

She added: “If this is just because they cannot appoint a consultant, that is not a reason to move it.”

Councillor Mike Barker, Liberal Democrat representative, also supported moves to stop the transfer.

He said: “It is better that two good units serve the county and serve people nearer to where they live.”

The cabinet passed a motion to keep the stroke unit within Darlington.

A trust spokeswoman said there were no proposals to remove acute stroke services from Darlington. It would also look at contingency plans to maintain services at both hospitals, including continued efforts to recruit more consultant staff.

She said: “No decisions have yet been made about any changes to the service.”