A PATIENT watchdog has expressed concern that bed shortages at one North-East hospital may be relieved at the expense of another.

North Durham and South Durham NHS trusts merged on Tuesday as part of plans to reorganise hospital services in County Durham.

But there are fears that the shortage of beds at the £97m University Hospital of North Durham could adversely affect Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bishop Auckland General Hospital which have not experienced the same difficulties, particularly during the hectic winter period.

The issue was raised this week when officials at the privately financed North Durham hospital repeated that capacity restraints remained the biggest hindrance to improving the trust's waiting list position.

In a document submitted to this week's final meeting of the North Durham trust board, Isabel Kellie, director of performance management, states: "Delayed transfers of care have rarely numbered fewer than 50 all summer - these patients (through no fault of their own) are effectively occupying two wards' worth of acute beds."

The director added that she hoped the new trust "will be able to give early consideration to the establishment of a county-wide bed bureau to maximise local NHS bed availability."

Critics have complained that the real issue - the failure to predict the need for more hospital beds in County Durham - has been overlooked.

Linda Allen, acting chief officer for Darlington and Teesdale Community Health Council said the issue would have to be watched.

"I think it is something that needs to be monitored. It is something we need to be aware of and to keep a watch on," she said.

Ms Allen said she would be concerned if changes in the pattern of referrals from GPs led to additional bed pressures in South Durham.