A STOCKTON hospital chief executive has added her comments to the debate about whether North Tees University Hospital should seek foundation status.

The special status is being proposed by the Government for hospitals that are highly-rated in league tables.

If granted, it gives hospital managers much greater freedom on working practices, pay, recruitment and governance.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust has expressed interest in the scheme.

Joan Rogers, trust chief executive, this week responded to concerns raised recently by Frank Cook, MP for Stockton North.

She said no firm decision had yet been taken about whether the trust would apply for foundation status.

"Preliminary discussions with health and interested parties, including medical staff, have so far been positive," she emphasised.

But it was very important that full consultation with local people continued, especially as issues developed.

Talks between the trust, Stockton Council, community health councils and NHS staff were on-going, the trust said.

A spokeswoman said no public meetings had yet been planned and the trust could only express preliminary interest in foundation status. The Department of Health would draw up a short list of criteria for such status.

Last week, Mr Cook urged caution about foundation hospitals, which he said could create a new internal market within the NHS. He doubted patients would benefit from the changes and called for a full public debate.

He had met Stockton Council leader Coun Bob Gibson and senior managers from the North Tees trust.

Additionally, he highlighted similar concerns about foundation hospitals raised by the British Medical Association. The BMA had warned a parliamentary committee that non-foundation hospitals could face a cycle of decline, becoming unable to recruit the best staff and becoming saddled with complex and unprofitable cases