BREAST cancer clinics are set to return to Darlington almost a year after they were controversially suspended – but at the expense of the clinic at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

Bosses at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have decided that breast cancer services will operate at only two sites and have chosen Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham to host them.

Although the news will be welcomed by patients in Darlington, those living in Bishop Auckland and its surrounding areas now face having to travel for scans and check-ups.

Breast cancer clinics were controversially suspended at Darlington last spring and moved to Bishop Auckland in an attempt to consolidate the service, leading to protests by patients.

The decision is still subject to a formal agreement by the trust but Edmund Lovell, associate director of communications at the foundation trust, told councillors at Darlington Borough Council health scrutiny committee about the proposals yesterday (Wednesday, January 7).

He said: “There was a temporary move of breast cancer services to Bishop Auckland Hospital last spring and that was because the kit there provided better images than that in Darlington.

“That equipment in Bishop Auckland has broken down a couple of times recently so we need to buy new kit.

“The equipment should go where we think the service should be permanently and where the most patients are – that will be Darlington Memorial. We expect it to be operational by April.”

Mr Lovell indicated that there would be a consultation period, particularly with patients living in the Bishop Auckland area.

He added: “This feels to people like a service we should be able to provide at a number of sites but if we want to provide a good service we need to narrow it down to two sites so we have consultants, radiologists and equipment in place.”

Councillors welcomed the news but urged the foundation trust to learn from the difficulties faced by Darlington patients travelling to Bishop Auckland to ensure they were not replicated for those coming in the opposite direction.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said she was delighted by the announcement and added: “It is the only sensible conclusion that the trust could have reached.

“I want to acknowledge those in the town who campaigned against the loss of the service.

“I’ve had a lot of comments from women who have struggled to get to Bishop Auckland and the trust really needs to consider transport for those who now need to reach Darlington.”

Councillor Sam Zair, who represents Bishop Auckland at Durham County Council, said the decision was another attempt by the foundation trust to ‘dismantle’ Bishop Auckland Hospital.

He added: “They won’t be happy until it has closed. When they took our A&E and acute wards we were told that Bishop Auckland Hospital would play a big part in the trust by having vital services.

“They say that and then flip the coin and start dismantling the hospital again. I think the trust has been speaking with a forked tongue.”

Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman described the announcement as 'very disappointing' and said it would lead to a poor quality service for her constituents who would find travelling to Darlington difficult.