PLANS for a shake-up of hospital services have met with formal opposition from an influential health watchdog.

South West Durham and Weardale Community Health Council said it cannot support plans for reorganising County Durham's three main hospitals.

It says the plans focus more on saving money than offering patients better treatment.

In a 23-page report, the community health council says the scheme would downgrade the new £67m Bishop Auckland General Hospital, drive away key staff and offer patients less choice.

It says the impact on general medical services would mean drastic consequences for in-patient beds, and calls for the General hospital to keep obstetrics and paediatric services, and its special care baby unit, instead of losing them to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The changes are based on recommendations by Professor Ara Darzi, the Department of Health's advisor on surgery, who was called in to find a solution to the shortage of beds at the privately-financed University Hospital of North Durham. Central to his plan is to create a single NHS trust for County Durham and Darlington, a move which the community health council supports.

But it criticises County Durham Health Authority for diluting and changing Professor Darzi's proposals and for not making the implications clear to ordinary people.

"The proposals are so vague in detail, it is not even clear whether they are viable," it says.

Community health council chief officer Valerie Bryden said: "We accept there has to be change, but we don't believe that, as the proposals stand, they are strong enough to assure the secure future of Bishop Auckland General Hospital."

The health authority said centralisation of mother and baby services had strong backing from consultants.

It will consider the community health council view on August 7, and is likely to ask health ministers to rule on the proposals.