WHENEVER we hear the phrase “We have no plans to...” we smell a rat.

It was used by NHS foundation trust chief executive Sue Jacques at last week’s annual meeting, referring to the feared cutting of services at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

There may well be no “plans” in the form of comprehensive procedures mapped out, but there are strong rumours and patients and staff are fretting about the inconvenience and perils of having to travel long distances. For many, the extra stress of not knowing is worse than being told an unpalatable truth.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is leaking fervid speculation that A&E, maternity and intensive care will all be downgraded.

Richmond Tory MP Rishi Sunak is concerned. He said journeys to Darlington from parts of his constituency already take more than an hour, but the trip to, say, the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, would add a further 30 minutes.

Bishop Auckland Labour MP Helen Goodman is concerned. She has taken to the campaign trail in both Bishop and Barnard Castle.

Her constituents, too, would face an extra hour’s round trip to reach James Cook.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman is concerned. She has been campaigning for months and said last week: “The chief executive at Darlington Memorial Hospital says, ‘No plans have been made’ to cut our A&E. That’s classic NHS code for ‘We’re not telling you our plans’.”

Mrs Chapman has given the use of her constituency office to “SOS Darlington”, the all-party group which is campaigning against any such cuts. Currently, it houses a 10 metre banner, which can be signed between 10.30am and 3pm on weekdays to show their opposition to hospital service reductions in Darlington. There is also a petition on the SOS Darlington Facebook page.

Otherwise, there are “no plans” to escalate opposition to hospital cuts.

But don’t let that fool you.

Peter Greenwood, Darlington