Plea to reverse closure of Shotley Bridge Hospital UTC overnight

Liberal Democrat councillors in County Durham have warned that the three-month temporary closure at Shotley Bridge Hospital will place further pressures on NHS services in the region.

A motion, due to be discussed by Durham County Council next week, asks councillors to support the plea to continue overnight access to treatment.

But the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust said the closure, between 12am-8am, has been made to keep services safe for patients and staff. The revised opening hours will come into effect on Monday (July 14). 

A statement read: “It has become difficult to staff the overnight shift safely and consistently. Since January, the UTC has had to close overnight on 65 occasions, and on nearly 100 occasions, the trust has made the decision not to staff the night shift so that daytime care could be protected.”

The trust said fewer people attend the centre overnight, adding: “by focusing our resources during the times when people need care most, in the daytime and evening, we can make the service safer and more reliable overall.”

Consett North councillor Kathryn Rooney also renewed the party’s calls for progress with the new Shotley Bridge Hospital scheme. The motion urges the government to “ensure the funding and commencement of construction of a fit-for-purpose new Shotley Bridge Hospital with significantly more than the current 16 proposed beds”. 

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Construction of the new hospital in Consett, which includes an in-patient rehabilitation ward and urgent treatment centre, is expected to be completed by 2028/2029. 

A funding plea for the new Accident and Emergency department at the University Hospital Of North Durham has also been made. 

The Trust added: “We know this is an important service for local people, and we’re committed to being open about how the change is working. We’ll be reviewing how it goes and listening to feedback throughout the three months.”