A CONTROVERSIAL hospital, under fire for having too few beds, was forced to close its accident and emergency unit because it was too busy.

Patients needing urgent medical care in the North Durham area last Sunday were sent to hospitals in Bishop Auckland, Sunderland, Gateshead and Hartlepool, when the University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City, shut its A&E department.

Health bosses say they took the decision because of 'exceptional pressure' on the department on Sunday.

Ambulances carrying patients from the area and people referred for emergency treatment by their GPs were diverted to their next nearest hospital, but staff continued to treat the walking wounded.

The department was closed for about ten hours, from 1.30pm to 11.30pm. The news has angered critics of the private finance initiative (PFI) hospital, who had previously warned it would not have the capacity to cope with demand from its catchment area.

The £97m University Hospital replaced Dryburn Hospital in 2001, but was built with fewer beds.

Shortly after it opened, Durham's Liberal Democrat Party collected 5,000 signatures calling for more to be added to the hospital. The petition was sent to the Government.

Dave Armstrong, of hospital workers' union Unison, said: "It's no great surprise. We were against the hospital being PFI. We said at the time it wasn't big enough for the surrounding area and this is another incident that seems to prove that. It has substantially less beds than was originally required.

"I can't think why this Sunday was a particularly busy day. You could imagine them being inundated on New Year's Eve."

North Durham MP Kevan Jones said: "I find this extremely alarming. It obviously underpins some of the criticisms of the hospital about its capacity to cope.

"I've already had some complaints about people being forced to go to Bishop Auckland General Hospital because of a lack of beds."

Mr Jones said he had become so concerned by the lack of beds at the hospital, that he had tabled a parliamentary question on the situation.

A spokesman for the University Hospital said: "There was exceptional pressure on the A&E department on Sunday and it was decided it was safer for patients to be seen at neighbouring hospitals."

The hospital, built by a consortium of private companies, has been embroiled in controversy since it opened.

Bed shortages, combined with patients blocking beds because of a lack of care home places, has led to some operations being cancelled.