TEN years ago, this week, two of the region’s largest hospital trusts cancelled all routine non-urgent surgery because of a surge in admissions caused by the hard winter and swine flu outbreak.
Worst affected was South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which included the 1,000-bed James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and the 270 bed Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, which had postponed up to 100 planned operations.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, overseeing Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, and Bishop Auckland Hospital, also cancelled non-urgent planned operations for 24 hours.
The rise in admissions was a result of swine flu cases, which tied up many critical care beds, icy weather, which caused many broken bones, and the severe winter, which exacerbated underlying heart and lung conditions.
The intense pressure on NHS hospitals across the North-East and North Yorkshire prompted regional bosses to appeal to patients not to attend hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments unless absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Christian Spencer, from Coundon Grange, County Durham, became one of only ten recipients of Durham County Council’s Junior Citizen Medals.
It was presented by chairman Mac Williams in recognition of his heroics in July 2010, when he saved his brother, Andrew, eight at the time.
Andrew nearly choked to death on a piece of gum, but Christian came to the rescue, pressing his chest and slapping his back between the shoulders, dislodging the gum.
Christian said: “I feel very proud of myself for getting this award. It is a great honour.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron denied the North-East was getting a raw deal from the spending cuts.
During a visit to the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, he said that instead of cutting services, councils should first slash back-office costs and reduce the wages of senior officers.
There he chatted to children from St Michael’s Primary, Bishop Middleham, County Durham, studying geology, and
In an interview with The Northern Echo, Mr Cameron rejected claims that the North-East was suffering disproportionately from the spending cuts.
Mr Cameron said many councils in the South were taking much deeper reductions in their grants.
About 50 people took part in a demonstration against the spending cuts outside the Centre for Life.
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