NURSING staff have sparked a new row over controversial plans to transfer mentally-ill patients to a new North-East facility.

Workers said at a public meeting that they had been warned of disciplinary action if they spoke out about the plan to transfer patients from Durham City to a new £20m facility in Darlington.

But the allegation has been rejected by management, which says it has encouraged an open debate on the issue.

The Tony White ward in County Hospital, Durham City, cares for seriously-ill patients.

Darlington and County Durham Priority Services NHS Trust wants to close the unit and transfer patients to the new West Park hospital, in Darlington.

Staff have voiced serious concerns about the safety of patients who are transferred such a distance, an allegation denied by the trust.

At Durham County Council's Health Scrutiny sub-committee meeting this week, worker Liz Hopkins said: "We have been actively discouraged from talking to various parties, relatives and carers.

"We have been discouraged from attending PCT meetings and we have been prevented from attending a meeting at Derwentside District Council to which we were invited.

"There have been threats of disciplinary action to staff if they continued to participate in this process."

Sandy Taylor, head of the Priority Services NHS Trust, hit back at the allegations.

He said: "I do not like to have a public spat between me and my staff, but it is offensive to say I trivialised this consultation.

"That is offensive in the extreme to me. This presentation has been laden with comments that are matters of personal opinion.

"Staff were not prevented from speaking at the meeting. I went along under the impression they were speaking. The reason they did not is not a matter for me. That's a matter for Derwentside scrutiny committee.

"If I am to refute these comments I would be here for another hour. I came here to show the consultation process has been open and unbiased."

He said the trust had spoken to Inspector Ivan Wood, of Durham Constabulary, about the proposals.

Derwentside district councillor John Pickersgill said he also had reservations after attending a similar meeting in Derwentside to discuss the plans that may affect patients in the area.

He said: "I am extremely concerned about the consultation process. I think it's seriously been flawed.

"Staff members have basically had the legs chopped off from under them and patients and carers were belittled in that meeting.

"The way they were talked to was out of order. Their views were treated with contempt."

Sergeant Paul Hadden, community beat officer for Durham City, said he believed the police had not been consulted about the closure.

He said: "Officers on the ground do not think they have been adequately consulted. I spoke to Inspector Wood and he said he had not been consulted on the Tony White unit. There does seem to be confusion."

Members of the committee recommended they hear from Mr Taylor in six months' time for an update.

At a previous meeting, they agreed the Priority Trust had carried out an appropriate consultation, but asked health chiefs to hold further discussions with staff about their concerns.