HEALTH chiefs have categorically denied that they have plans to remove vital services from a North-East hospital.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust insists it has “no plans”

to move maternity services from Darlington, despite rumours to the contrary.

The statement came after the former head of women’s and children’s services at the trust vowed to fight such a move.

Dr Ahmed Ali, head of the two services from 2008 until October when he took early retirement, said: “The danger is that women and children’s services are likely to be put on one site and I think that site is going to be Durham.”

Dr Ali, honorary secretary of the Darlington division of the British Medical Association, said he would campaign against any proposals to concentrate women and children’s services at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City.

He said he had decided to speak out to try to head off any move to take out services from Darlington.

In March, Dr Robin Mitchell, acting executive medical director for the trust, told councillors the trust was facing increasing difficulties in maintaining high quality, 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-aweek child health, obstetric and maternity services at the trust’s two main sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and the University Hospital of North Durham.

Dr Ali said Darlington Memorial Hospital was “essential”

to meet the needs of women and children because of the lack of capacity across the region.

The consultant obstetrician said he believed the trust favoured Durham because the University Hospital had been built under the controversial Private Finance Initiative and had to earn its keep to justify its huge cost.

But Dr Ali said it would be very difficult to expand the Durham hospital to take extra patients from Darlington because it would involve complex negotiations with private sector partners.

A spokesman for the trust said: “Mr Ali’s comments are entirely inaccurate.

“The trust has no plan to move maternity services from Darlington. The trust board has no desire to move maternity services from Darlington, and there has been no change in this position since the story was last covered in The Northern Echo.

“However, there are workforce pressures in the service, and issues around meeting national guidance and standards that may need to be addressed in the future.

“There is no consensus locally or nationally about how these should be addressed.

“Senior managers will be meeting consultants in the women’s and children’s team this month to hear their views on how they believe their services should develop.”