CAMPAIGNERS last night spoke of their fears that plans to centralise maternity services are set to be brought forward due to a shortage of doctors.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that changes will be implemented to services in hospitals serving Darlington, North Tees and Durham – but have reiterated that it is only a temporary measure.

Campaigners believe that a meeting to decide the location will be made at the end of next month and implemented by the beginning of August – despite consultation on wide-sweeping NHS changes in the region not starting until the autumn.

One hospital worker and seasoned NHS campaigner, who did not wished to be named, said any move by the health trust to bring forward their plans at short notice should be treated "with suspicion".

She said: "Publicly, they keep saying that no decisions have been made, yet they are holding meetings where they are talking about patient safety and doctor shortages impacting on services.

"I feel they have been planning this strategy for some time – there is no way that they can look at the services across the three sites and come up with a strategy to combine them in such a short time period.

"They are using patient safety as an excuse but if women are having to travel even further for treatment then that is going to put them further at risk, especially if someone is travelling from the Yorkshire Dales and then having to make their way to Stockton or Durham."

Earlier this year, Jenny Chapman, Labour candidate for Darlington at the forthcoming General Election, joined forces with Richmond's Conservative candidate Rishi Sunak, to oppose potential downgrading of Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Proposals to changes hospital services in southern County Durham and the Tees Valley are due to be published later this year.

The changes could result in the Darlington hospital losing a number of services including consultant-led maternity services and A&E.

The review is one of dozens of sustainability and transformation plans – STPs – being drawn up by health chiefs around the country.

In the draft STP for the southern County Durham, Darlington, Tees Valley and northern North Yorkshire areas either Darlington or North Tees hospital would lose their current status and be downgraded.

Ms Chapman said: "What has the NHS come to when there are women who live in a town the size of Darlington who won't be able to give birth in their hometown?"

However, health chiefs are adamant that any changes will be temporary until a full review of services is carried out.

A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Patient safety must be our priority. The Trust and the local clinical commissioning groups have a duty to regularly assess and review services to ensure that patients are receiving safe, high quality care.

"When there are increasing pressures we need to act responsibly and discuss with partners and our clinical teams how we can continue to provide a safe and effective service and implement any temporary action if required.”

And a spokeswoman for NHS Darlington CCG on behalf of NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG, NHS North Durham CCG and NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG, said: "The Trust has informed Commissioners about current clinical workforce challenges in women’s and children’s services, and therefore we are talking to them about how they ensure patients continue to receive high quality, safe services.  Any proposals for a permanent change to services would need to be subject to formal public consultation."