THE controversial closure of a day surgery unit at a community hospital is to go ahead.

The decision to close the unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital, near Consett, County Durham, was taken last night despite pleas from council and primary care trust leaders to postpone the decision.

Fears were expressed that the closure, which may only be temporary, would undermine the long-term viability of the hospital.

But hospital trust bosses stress that the day case unit is only a tiny part of what is a thriving hospital used by nearly 60,000 people a year.

After hearing there was less demand for the unit from patients, members of the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust's board agreed to close it for six months.

The closure, which will be reviewed after six months, will come into effect on August 1.

Before then, the hospital trust chief executive, John Saxby, will hold talks in Derwentside to see if the unit can remain open.

The hospital trust's chairman, Tony Waites, said: "The chief executive will either confirm the decision or ask it to be rescinded at our July meeting."

Mr Saxby said day surgery could not be justified at Shotley Bridge in terms of the low number of people from Derwentside using the service.

He also said spare capacity existed at the main university hospital, in Durham, and that the trust needed to save more than £1m a month to avoid going into the red.

But Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson urged the trust to think again.

He said: "I have the support of Derwentside Primary Care Trust, local GPs and many staff at the hospital."