Hospital closure still 'long-term aim'

A HEALTH chief today confirmed the closure of Hartlepool's hospital was still the long-term aim of a shake-up of services.

The future of the University Hospital of Hartlepool has become the most controversial issue in the war of words between political parties in the town's by-election run-up.

Labour have accused the Lib Dems of scaremongering over the hospital's fate, quoting Bryan Hanson, chairman of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, as saying there was no intention to close the town hospital.

The claim led to reports that plans to close Hartlepool's hospital and the University Hospital of North Tees - to be replaced by one single new hospital North of the Tees - had been shelved.

But Mr Hanson today confirmed that while there were no current plans for the closure, the long-term aim was still to replace the two current hospitals with one new site.

Asked today if he could rule out the long-term closure of Hartlepool's hospital, to be replaced with a single new site north of the Tees, Mr Hanson said: "I would not rule it out. That's the direction we are aiming for.

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