MORE than 80 concerned residents turned out to share their views on a town’s community hospital.

Barnard Castle Town Council hosted the consultation event over the town's Richardson Hospital on Saturday following an announcement by the Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group and the Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, in July, that the future of the facility is being reviewed along with others.

Town clerk, Michael King, said residents were keen to share their experiences of the hospital and said they did not think the services were being advertised enough.

He said: "There was general surprise at the number and range of clinical services offered by the Richardson and the lack of visibility these have."

Mr King said the responses will be collated and experiences put forward by town councillor Judi Sutherland, to the reference group set up by the CCG on the future of community hospitals across County Durham.

Mr King added: "This event has attracted far more participation than previous consultations held on similar bases.

"It demonstrates the great importance and affection local people have for the Richardson and their concern that it continues to be well managed and its services well publicised and well used."

He added: "The town council stands by its view that the CCG and the Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust could do more to direct clinicians towards the services on offer and to publicise to patients that these services are available."