CAPACITY problems have dogged the University Hospital since it opened last spring.

It became clear quickly there were not enough beds to cope, creating a major headache for managers, staff and patients.

To tackle the problem, the North Durham trust has backed the proposed re-organisation of acute hospitals in County Durham, drawn up by top surgeon Professor Ari Darzi.

This will transform the almost complete Bishop Auckland General into a kind of 'surgical factory' where the majority of non-emergency operations can be done.

This will involve more patients travelling from North Durham and Darlington to Bishop Auckland for routine operations, but it should free up beds at the new Durham hospital.

People in North-West Durham are concerned about travelling to Bishop Auckland - a 45-minute car drive or two-bus journey from Stanley. But the North Durham Community Health Council looks likely to signify qualified approval.

Hospital managers stress no-one will be forced to travel to Bishop Auckland. Patients will be offered a choice of hospitals for surgery like hip operations, but warned they may wait longer if they choose Durham. Derwentside District Council Alex Watson said dozens of people were outraged at a public meeting held at Shotley Bridge Hospital last week.

He said:"People felt isolated and have lost confidence in the NHS altogether."

He said many were still unhappy that Shotley Bridge Hospital had been downgraded from an emergency hospital to a community hospital, used mainly for diagnoses and convalescence.

Former chairman of the North Durham CHC Eric Turner resigned his role to take up a position as non-executive director on the new Derwentside Primary Care Trust.

He said: "I feel that the travel issue, particularly for people without transport, is still a matter of major concern for people across North-West Durham."

New chairman of the CHC, Bill Davison, a cabinet member at Chester-le-Street District Council, said a number of discussions had taken place but that the new merger proposals, though far from perfect, was the best deal that could be hoped for.

A North Durham NHS Trust spokesman said people could write to the University Hospital chief executive with suggestions or criticisms.