MORE than 500 patients on Teesside will be forced to travel for major cancer treatment under new plans by a health trust.

Major cancer treatments at the University Hospital of Hartlepool are to be moved to North Tees, it was decided yesterday.

Patients in Hartlepool suffering with the condition will have to travel to Stockton for operations and treatment.

Patients in Stockton needing hip or knee replacements will have to be operated on in Hartlepool.

More than 1,000 patients in total will have to travel for their treatment, it was estimated.

But the Trust reassured the public that the orthopaedics unit at North Tees will stay open.

The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS trust voted unanimously in favour of the plans, which followed an extensive review into services, at a board meeting yesterday.

Health bosses admitted they "had no choice" but to move all cancer inpatients to Stockton, and hip and knee replacements to Hartlepool, in a bid to slash waiting times and provide better specialist care.

If nothing was done, they said, the Trust could see some of its services being closed for not measuring up to NHS standards, forcing patients to travel as far afield as Leeds for treatment.

Peter Royle, medical director at the trust, said residents may have concerns about the plans. But he said: "We know that transport will be a concern for local people and we propose providing transport for those who need it as part of their care."

Day care and appointments with consultants will continue at both hospitals.

Before the plans can be implemented, they will be put to the four Primary Health Care trusts in the area.

Stockton North MP Frank Cook said he had firm reassurances from Tees Health Authority chiefs that a full public consultation would be carried out before the plans go ahead.

Mr Cook said: "They must carry out a proper and meaningful consultation with the local community if the trust do decide to pursue this proposal, which has caused so much anger and alarm among both the public and medical staff at North Tees."