IN light of your story, “‘Loss of specialist nurses if hospital unit is closed’” (Echo, Jan 13), I am writing to reassure readers that no specialist nursing or ward nursing staff will lose their jobs as a result of the discussions about stroke service provision in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

We are all striving to provide high-quality care for patients by fulfilling all the nationally-agreed standards relating to stroke care.

Because of current pressures arising from a shortage of consultant staff there has been wide discussion about the best way to organise our stroke services in future.

Whatever the outcome of these discussions I wish to make it plain that we value the skills of all staff on the stroke units at Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Durham hospitals.

Staff are also very upset about the adverse publicity and misleading information about their feelings and views which have been portrayed in your story.

I would be grateful if you publish this letter so that readers can be absolutely clear that our focus is on providing and retaining high-quality stroke services for local people.

Jayne Nicholson, Stroke Services Coordinator, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

■ Footnote: A stroke unit staff member contacted The Northern Echo to say they felt “let down”

by the proposed closure of the unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital. These comments were published in good faith.

IN a previous letter (HAS, Nov 18) I said: “It is now the norm that once a council or health authority puts out a statement of a proposed move or closure, that is it. All done and dusted.”

This brings me to the latest reported proposal of transferring all stroke patients from County Durham to the University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City (Echo, Jan 12).

Your Comment column of the same day stated: “It has to be stressed that this is still just a proposal and no decisions have been taken.” Who are they trying to kid? Just watch this space.

Tony Stainthorpe, Durham City.

IF a patient develops signs of a stroke at 3am then he or she needs proper investigation at 3am – not at 10am. This includes instant access to brain CT scanning, as well as interpretation of the result by a skilled radiologist so that appropriate medical treatment can be commenced right away.

Such therapy has been shown to dramatically improve outcomes for many stroke patients. Anything less than this is second-rate treatment and if a hospital cannot provide it, then it cannot be said to have an “acute stroke unit”.

David Wood, Durham.

A NEW stroke unit under threat of closure after only three months; the closure of the accident and emergency department at Bishop Auckland Hospital; the £1m NHS funds to Durham County Council to grit pavements. What next?

How about selling all the hospitals and giving the money to help the banks pay their huge bonuses. Mental bankruptcy?

There’s a lot of it about.

Kelvin Guyett, Crook, Co Durham.