A REVIEW of hospital services in part of their region is likely to lead to the creation of a two-tier system, it emerged last night.

For more than a year, doctors, nurses and other health staff have been reviewing hospital services run by County Durham and Darlington Foundation NHS Trust.

The 1,000-bed trust runs hospitals in Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Durham, Shotley Bridge and Chester-le-Street.

While the process is not over and the trust declines to name the hospitals concerned, it appears that hospital officials are minded to concentrate more acute services on Darlington Memorial Hospital and the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, and find a new role for Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

The move will dismay campaigners in Bishop Auckland, who have seen their hospital downgraded since it re-opened in 2002, having been rebuilt at a cost of £67m.

The hospital provides 24-hour acute medical service and a restricted accident and emergency service. In recent years, it has lost acute surgery and a consultant-run maternity unit.

It is understood the hospital could become the trust's main centre for planned surgery.

Proposals detailing which services will be offered from which sites are expected to be presented to the July meeting of the trust board.

Dr Bob Aitken, the executive medical director of the trust, said no firm decision had been taken.

He said: "We are planning to have the plan ready for the July board.

"If there are any significant changes to existing services, we would need to put it to a public consultation, which would last from September to November."

He said the trust was looking at ways of ensuring that patients needing emergency treatment could continue to be seen at all three main sites.

Kath Toward, one of the trust's governors, who lives in Harwood-in-Teesdale, said: "We have to move with the changing healthcare system whether we like it or not. Staying the same is not an option. People have got to want to use this trust if it is going to stay in business."

Wear Valley district councillor Sam Zair, one of the founders of the Save Our Hospital campaign, said: "We will have to wait and see the details, but if this goes ahead, I reckon it will be another nail in the coffin of our local hospital."

To read the latest proposals from the trust and make comments, visit seizingthefuture.hub.uk.com