THE sudden departure of a highly-regarded chief executive could seriously hinder hospital merger plans, it was claimed last night.

Steven Mason departed just days before the North Durham and South Durham NHS hospital trusts were due to become one.

Mr Mason, chief executive of the North Durham trust, yesterday announced that he was leaving ahead of the Tuesday merger.

Mr Mason, who had been passed over in favour of South Durham chief executive John Saxby to run the new merged County Durham and Darlington trust, is being seconded to Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority.

Health authority officials had hoped that the former financial director, who has run the controversial privately- financed University Hospital of North Durham for the past 18 months, would help guide the trust through the difficult early stages of the merger until a new chief executive could be appointed.

Durham North MP Kevan Jones, a long-standing critic of merger plans, said: "Steven is one of the few people to have had a good relationship with the staff. He could have played an important role in getting this merger through."

David Woodhead, chief officer of North Durham Community Health Council, said he and his members were "shocked" at the loss of such an able chief executive who could have helped make the merger work.

Mr Woodhead said the priority for any new chief executive must be to increase bed numbers at the Durham hospital.

Kevin Earley, former chairman of the North Durham trust, said Mr Mason's departure was "a tremendous loss."

Durham plastic surgeon Brook Berry said: "The staff are genuinely upset for Steven Mason. The fact that he has been moved out is another unfortunate consequence of what is going on here."