A THREE-month public consultation has been launched over plans to create a new urology service for County Durham.

The service, which will deal with problems of the kidney, bladder and other related organs, will also cover South Tyneside and Wearside.

If approved, the plans will see inpatient treatment centralised at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

All other services, such as clinics, day case operations and follow-ups, will continue at local hospitals, including the University Hospital of North Durham and Bishop Auckland General, to avoid unnecessary travel for patients.

Consultant urological surgeon Peter English said yesterday: "We need to make these changes to widen the availability of some treatments, cut waiting times and make sure that cancer patients get the best treatment, in line with national standards.

"To offer the best care, complex planned and emergency inpatient operations would be centralised in a new 58-bed unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust is leading the public consultation on behalf of the local NHS.

Chief Executive Andrew Young said: "We have been talking to patients about these plans for more than a year, to make sure that the service meets their needs. We now need to consult formally on these plans."