Surgery fears at North hospital

SPECIALIST surgery to prevent strokes could be lost from a major Durham hospital.

A review is under way to consider whether to cut vascular services from the University Hospital of North Durham.

Vascular surgery is used to repair damaged arteries and amputate limbs.

In the North East it is currently carried out at four sites in Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Durham, but reports by the Northern England Strategic Clinical Network, and the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland have recommended cutting this to three.

Newcastle and Middlesbrough are both major trauma centres, meaning they must continue to have the service.

The review has also recommended retaining Sunderland due to its location and its greater number of specialised staff.

Concerns over the proposals were raised at Friday’s meeting of Durham County Council’s Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel. “When this came to the region we lodged an immediate objection,” said committee chairman Coun John Robinson.

“Durham objected on the basis of the effect on Dryburn [UHND] and the knock-on effect to Darlington.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “Following a detailed independent review involving vascular specialists and clinicians it has been recommended that the third vascular centre in the North East is based at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

“Discussions between relevant NHS organisations are ongoing about how best to implement this recommendation, which is supported by clinicians, to ensure the best outcomes for patients and use of staff expertise.

“Our priority over the coming weeks and months is to seek the views of patients and stakeholders about how this recommendation impacts on them, while ensuring that providers of vascular services meet the highest possible quality standards.”