PLANS for changes in care provision for mental health patients in County Durham have been shelved, health officials said yesterday.

Last week, proposals to relocate patients needing continuous care to sites outside Darlington were unveiled by health bosses.

They put forward plans to move six beds for mental health patients from St John's Nursing Home, on Hundens Lane, to Auckland Park Hospital, in Bishop Auckland, or Sedgefield Community Hospital.

County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust chiefs wanted to establish centres of excellence for patients at Sedgefield's Hardwyke Ward and Auckland Park's Binchester Ward.

They said two 16-bed units would have provided care for patients with behavioural difficulties, including aggression, violence and intractable noisiness.

They would also have provided care for people with dementia or other serious psychiatric disorders.

But amid criticisms that there had not been enough consultation, the trust admitted in a statement last night that the idea had been abandoned.

It said: "Given the ever-increasing numbers of elderly people and the fact that one-in-20 of the over-60s, and one- in-five of the over-80s will develop dementia, the trust needs to ensure a comprehensive service is available that meets all the needs of those suffering from dementia.

"There is currently an absence of NHS-provided challenging behaviour services and there is a need to develop these services.

"The consideration of the future use of St John's was an attempt to develop facilities for this group of difficult and challenging patients.

"However, the proposals in their current form do not have the support of the primary care trust or social services and they have therefore been withdrawn.

"The trust will continue to work with users and carers, the primary care trust and social services to find a solution to meet the ever-increasing needs for this service."

Darlington Primary Care Trust's chief executive, Colin Morris, commented on the announcement: "This trust has a track record of consulting with the population of Darlington on key issues.

"I can only reassure residents and carers that this trust would not embark on any proposal without fulfilling all consultation requirements.