AN NHS surgeon who is backing a new private hospital with his own money has praised Health Secretary Alan Milburn's decision to cut waiting lists by using the private sector.

Plans for an £8.1m private hospital in Darlington, backed by a consortium of 17 NHS consultants, were revealed by The Northern Echo in May.

Howard Rutherford, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who has remortgaged his home to help finance the 42-bed hospital, said the Health Secretary's decision to sign a concordat with the private health sector was "spot on".

While strongly denying that the Woodlands Hospital is being built to cash in on the Government's new policy towards the private sector, Mr Rutherford said the change of heart was "very sensible."

Plans for a new private hospital in South Durham began four years ago amid rumours that another private hospital in the area could be closing.

The fact that the new hospital is taking shape when a Labour Government has decided to use the private sector to treat NHS patients is "a fluke", according to Mr Rutherford, who works at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

He said: "This is not a threat to the NHS. It should do good, not harm. There can be nothing wrong with increasing capacity for patients because there are thousands who need treating and it is going to get worse."

NHS consultants backing the scheme would continue to work in the health service, and the new hospital would help to attract new talent to the region, said Mr Rutherford.

A spokeswoman in Mr Milburn's Darlington constituency office said there was no connection between the change of policy and the hospital project.

The hospital is due to open in June.