A QUESTION mark still hangs over the future of a North-East hospital - despite attempts to reassure protestors last night.

More than 50 people took part in a rally yesterday around the perimeter of the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

They were expressing concern that closing the hospital is an option being considered as part of a review of health services in the Tees Valley area.

Presently, there is a hospital at Hartlepool and one at Stockton, which between them cover the north Tees and east Durham areas.

In their strategic review, NHS managers on the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority said one option would be to merge the two hospitals on a single site.

The revelation caused an outcry in Hartlepool, with more than 15,000 residents signing a petition to keep the hospital, and yesterday they packed the annual meeting of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust to seek reassurances that the town would not lose the service.

Protestor Joan Ryan said: "If this hospital goes, it will be the third one the town has lost. First it was St Hilda's and then Camerons, and now possibly this."

However, speaking at the meeting Bryan Hanson, chairman of the Trust, gave assurances that the hospital and services did have a future in Hartlepool.

He said: "I can assure the hospital and its services are secure for the short-term future. It was a floating idea, and was one option in the review process."

John Bloom, organiser of the march, said: "If in the short-term, as it seems, they are not to close the hospital, then that will be of some comfort to people.

"However, it is not to be confused with the long-term options, which will be the decision of the review board, but we are pleased to say the door has not yet been closed."

The three options are: keeping services at the two hospitals as they are today, reorganising services so one hospital focuses on emergency care and one on planned care, and a single site providing all services.