A HOSPICE in-patient facility has been closed until a new consultant can start work.

Hartlepool and District Hospice has cancelled its in-patient department while it awaits the arrival of a new consultant next month.

The facility, which offers respite care for people who are seriously ill, does not have a resident consultant in palliative medicine, leaving hospice bosses unable to operate the service.

However, chiefs at the Hutton Avenue facility say it is a short-term problem and have reassured families that the department will be back to normal next month.

The former consultant left at the end of December and the replacement member of staff is taking up the post at the start of February.

Officials calculate only a small number of patients would have used the department this month and staff working in the community are providing help to those who need it while the service is out of order.

The service helps people who are referred by their GP or hospital and is believed that those in need of respite care, who are unable to receive the treatment at home, may have been referred to other facilities.