THE leader of a council has expressed "bitter disappointment and frustration" over plans to focus £50m of health investment in Stockton, rather than Hartlepool.

Christopher Akers-Belcher, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, wrote to health secretary Jeremy Hunt expressing "serious concerns" that North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is investing the money in its hospital at North Tees, in Stockton.

The trust has asked for £50m from the government to improve the University Hospital of North Tees at a time when many Hartlepool residents are campaigning for services to be transferred back to Hartlepool from North Tees, including an Accident and Emergency department,

In his letter, Councillor Akers-Belcher said: "Amid concerns regarding the availability of funding for a new hospital on the Wynyard site, we have become aware of a funding request by the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust for £50m to upgrade existing facilities at its University Hospital of North Tees.

"£25m initially requested to support infrastructure work, with a further £25m to upgrade patient facilities (including a larger A&E).

“Whilst this request has been supported by James Wharton, MP for Stockton South, we would like to express our bitter disappointment and frustration that the trust’s vision for the future appears to focus solely on the provision of services at the University Hospital of North Tees (UHNT) site, with the total exclusion of the University Hospital of Hartlepool (UHH).

“You are already fully aware of our serious concerns about the suitability/effectiveness of current, and future planned, hospital services for Hartlepool and we indeed discussed them in detail with you at our meeting on the 3rd March 2015.”

The letter goes on to say that following an earlier meeting with Mr Hunt, the council is working closely with NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to develop a local plan for the provision of integrated health and social care services for Hartlepool.

The letter concludes: “It is essential that UHH be given a fair and equal allocation of any funding made available to support the implementation of integrated health and social care services in Hartlepool.”