HEALTH bosses are today expected to back controversial proposals to close a stroke unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The plans to centralise countywide hyperacute services at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, would mean anyone suffering a suspected stroke in County Durham or Darlington would be taken there by ambulance, where they would be scanned and potentially given clotbusting drugs within hours of arrival.

However, it would also mean the closure of a hyperacute stroke unit in Darlington.

Experts have told NHS bosses it is impossible to run hyperacute stroke services from both centres because of a shortage of specialist doctors and that Durham City is the most suitable site due to its geography and superior scanning facilities.

Hyperacute refers to treatment during the first 72 hours after the stroke.

The proposal to close the Darlington Memorial Hospital site has triggered protests from both Darlington Borough Council and Darlington MP Jenny Chapman, who have argued that their town should host the new hyperacute treatment service.

A 780-name petition from Darlington Stroke Club calling for the Darlington unit to stay open has also been handed to primary care trust (PCT) chiefs.

The council and the MP have challenged the PCT’s analysis of travel times, which suggests Durham City is the best place for the unit.

But new analysis of travel times by independent experts appears to support Durham City as the main centre.

The study, based on 1,776 journeys between January 1, last year, and March 31, this year, showed that the average journey time for patients would be slightly quicker if the single site were to be located at Durham City rather than Darlington.

It also predicted a greater proportion of patients would get to a hyperacute unit more quickly if the single site was in Durham rather than in Darlington, and no patient would take more than 50 minutes to get to a hyperacute site in a blue-light ambulance.

Currently, 24-hour hyperacute services alternate between the two sites each week, but experts say Durham has better scanning facilities.

Mrs Chapman said: “This discredited consultation removes an important service from Darlington Memorial.

Decision makers need to ask themselves whether they can have any confidence in its recommendations when the process has been so flawed.

“My fear is that this decision is the thin end of the wedge, and we may see further movement of services away from Darlington in favour of Durham. This is not in the interests of residents.”