Proposals to relocate a psychiatric unit have caused worry among service users.

Mental health managers want to close a five-bed psychiatric intensive care unit in Durham and transfer the facilities to Darlington.

Officials describe the proposal - which is going out to public consultation - as a temporary move. But staff and mental health groups have expressed concern.

Psychiatric nurses are worried that the move will make the transportation of acutely ill patients more difficult. And mental health charity Mind is concerned that the move would leave North Durham without a psychiatric intensive care unit.

The proposal is to close the Tony White unit at the County Hospital and transfer the beds to the new £20m West Park psychiatric hospital in Darlington.

This is because the facilities at the Tony White unit do not meet modern requirements. The five psychiatric intensive care beds will be replaced by an 11-bed intensive care unit at West Park.

Officials from the County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust have stressed that the unit will be transferred back to North Durham when the replacement for the County Hospital is opened.

But the earliest a new mental health hospital in Durham will open is March 2007.

A spokeswoman for the Priority Services Trust said: "We believe we have a duty to provide our service users and staff with the best environment possible.

"The new West Park Hospital in Darlington offers an ideal opportunity for us to provide much improved accommodation for the trust's psychiatric intensive care services."

The trust hopes that the transfer can be carried out without any redundancies.

Brenda Greener, manager of the Derwentside branch of Mind, said: "It isn't ideal. We are talking about people visiting their friends and families. It is a long haul and very expensive by bus."

Mrs Greener said most service users would probably prefer to retain the Tony White unit until a new hospital was open.

The consultation period continues for 12 weeks until Monday, November 1. Two open meetings are planned to give people the opportunity to find out more about the proposal and to give their comments on them.

The first takes place on Thursday, September 16, from 9.30am until 11.30am at the Senior Common Room, Collingwood College, Durham. The second is on Friday, September 24, from 10am until noon in the Blue Room at Consett YMCA.