OFFICIALS are planning to reorganise care for some mental health patients.

Six beds for patients needing continuous care at St John's nursing home in Darlington, could be moved to Auckland Park Hospital, Bishop Auckland, or to Sedgefield Community Hospital.

The proposals have been put forward by County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust.

Trust managers want to establish centres of excellence for patients at Sedgefield's Hardwyke Ward and Auckland Park's Binchester Ward.

The two 16-bed units would cater for physically frail and vulnerable patients, as well as those with behavioural difficulties, including violence and intractable noisiness.

They would also provide care for people with dementia or other serious psychiatric disorders.

Relatives of patients at St John's will be consulted about a possible move to either of the two units.

Trust chief executive Sandy Taylor said: "The two continuing treatment units will be staffed by a multi-disciplinary team, whose skills will be enhanced and developed in varied therapeutic approaches to care. By re-configuring the in-patient provision, the skill mix on the units can be improved and additional community resources provided to the community teams in Sedgefield, Bishop Auckland, the Dales and Darlington.

"It is important that this client group is catered for in the appropriate environment, but also with appropriately trained and skilled professionals. Often, patients that have challenging behaviour in Darlington have had to be placed out of area. The proposals would alleviate this cost and associated problems for visiting family members."

The proposals will come before the social affairs and health scrutiny committee of Darlington Borough Council on Monday.

The trust also plans to close the five-bed Tony White psychiatric intensive care unit at the County Hospital in Durham and transfer care to the new £20m West Park psychiatric hospital in Darlington. Officials say the proposal - which is going out to public consultation - is a temporary relocation until the replacement for the County Hospital is opened.