A GP has warned that proposals to end 24-hour acute medical cover would effectively lead to the closure of a £67m North-East hospital that was only opened six years ago.

Long-serving GP Dr Gordon Bolton, of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, spoke of his fears for the future of his local hospital at a crowded public meeting.

The meeting at Bishop Auckland town hall on Wednesday was called by town’s MP Helen Goodman in response to plans to reorganise hospital services in County Durham and Darlington.

Hospital bosses who run Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham and Bishop Auckland General Hospital, want to concentrate acute services on two out of three sites as part of plans to modernise hospital services.

Ms Goodman has criticised NHS officials for refusing to confirm that the site chosen to lose its accident and emergency department and 24/7 senior medical cover is Bishop Auckland General.

The MP says that she was told it was definitely Bishop Auckland a few months ago.

Dr Bolton, who has practised in the town for many years, said: “If medicine goes, the hospital goes. That is all that is left of the hospital.”

The GP pointed out that the accident and emergency department had already been downgraded and that more serious cases were already diverted to Darlington or Durham City.

He said: “It is important we don’t get hung up about A& E.

Our main concern is the loss of the medical wards.”

Dr Bolton said that the remaining medical wards were frequently closed to new emergency patients because of a lack of beds.

The GP said he wondered how the trust would cope with only two out of three sites admitting serious medical cases.

Councillor Neil Harrison, leader of Wear Valley District Council, told the meeting that he failed to understand how the County Durham and Darlington Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was going to do something about the high levels of ill-health in the area by closing down the local accident and emergency department.

Mrs Goodman pointed out that in a recent survey of her constituents, 93 per cent of those who responded said that they wanted to retain A&E in the town.

She said: “What I hope we get is what local people want.”

The MP urged everyone to get involved in the public consultation, which is likely to begin in the next few weeks if the controversial proposals are backed by County Durham Primary Care Trust.

Stephen Eames, chief executive of the hospital trust, insisted that no decision had been taken.

He said that the trust could not continue in its present form without putting patients at risk.

Mr Eames said it was not true that Bishop Auckland General Hospital faced closure.

David Gallagher, a director from County Durham Primay Care Trust, told the meeting that the aim was to have “safe and fair access to hospital services which are sustainable in the future”.