LABOUR MPs, including former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, are backing moves to head off the Government's controversial NHS reforms.

Labour loyalists are being urged to fight proposals that would see local primary care trusts replaced by regionwide "super trusts".

Darlington MP Mr Milburn has written to up to a thousand of his constituents urging them to put pressure on health bosses to scrap the controversial proposals.

Mr Milburn, who set up the present system of primary care trusts when he was in charge of the Department of Health, is strongly against plans to abolish Darlington Primary Care Trust and replace it with a County Durham trust, describing them as "ill thought-out."

In his letter to Labour Party members and other constituents, Mr Milburn said it would be tragic if, having won the battle to manage local government services such as education, Darlington was now to "lose control over our local health services".

The MP is urging Darlington residents and local organisations to write to David Flory, chief executive of County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority, at Freepost NAT 3825, Stockton, TS17 6BL.

His concerns are echoed by other North-East MPs, including Easington's John Cummings and Hartlepool's Iain Wright.

Mr Cummings is urging people in Easington to get behind the campaign to retain the local trust.

A spokeswoman for Mr Cummings said: "He wants to see the PCT retained because of the special health needs of the area and the chronic under-funding which is finally being addressed."

Mr Wright opposes the abolition of Hartlepool trust and has urged people to get involved in the consultations.

Proposals for North Yorkshire involve the merger of four trusts.

Conservative MP for Richmond William Hague, who has expressed concerns over the merger plans, said: "I am very pleased that a former Labour Health Secretary can see that his Government is making a serious mistake.

"It is a pity that ministers are unlikely to listen even to him, just as they refuse to listen to local people across the country."

Meanwhile, a report by the Labour-dominated Health Select Committee has attacked the plans for primary care trusts as "ill-judged", highlighting the cost and an exodus of worried staff to other parts of the health service.

The report warned it is likely to take 18 months for the trusts to recover from such restructuring.

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