UNDER-pressure hospital bosses are bringing forward plans to use beds at a neighbouring hospital, it was revealed last night.

Health chiefs in County Durham are also planning to make a bid for one of the new "MASH-style" mobile surgical units staffed by foreign doctors. The measures are part of efforts by managers at the £97m University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City to overcome bed shortages.

There was strong criticism from politicians and unions when the hospital opened last April with fewer beds than the obsolete Dryburn Hospital it replaced.

It was in the headlines for the wrong reasons again yesterday after a 92-year-old woman spent ten hours in casualty before being admitted.

Now the North Durham trust has revealed that it is in talks with South Durham trust to use spare capacity at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, which is itself about to move into new, privately financed £67m premises.

As part of plans drawn up by top surgeon Professor Ari Darzi to reorganise hospital services, the two Durham trusts are due to merge, allowing much closer working arrangements between hospitals in Durham, Bishop Auckland and Darlington.

But until now the assumption was that patients from North Durham would not be sent to Bishop Auckland until the plan - which is out to public consultation - is implemented next year.

However, North Durham trust chief executive Steven Mason has revealed that he is hoping that some patients will be able to have their planned operations at Bishop Auckland.

"We are looking to do some elective surgery at Bishop Auckland. It would be the odd surgical list here and there," said Mr Mason.

Ironically, recent progress on waiting lists means that the Durham hospital may not qualify for a MASH team.

By a combination of hard work and better management the North Durham trust has dramatically reduced in-patient and out-patient waiting lists.

"Our staff have made a tremendous effort.

"We have ended up with no one waiting for in-patient treatment for more than 12 months. Last November we had about 100," said Mr Mason.

A similar story in out-patients means that the hospital went from being a thousand over its target to nearly a thousand under its target of no one waiting longer than 26 weeks for a first appointment.