CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep a hospital ward open have taken part in a protest march.

The event was staged as part of a campaign to stop the possible closure of ward six at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

The Northern Echo:

County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust (CDDFT), which started a staff consultation this month, says no decision has been made on the future of the ward and the process has been paused until November 15.

Carrying placards, and with shouts of "no ifs, no buts, no cuts to ward six", more than 70 people took part in the march around Bishop Auckland town centre.

 

Bishop Auckland mum Helen Haley, who works for the trust and attended with her three children, said: "The hospital means a lot to me personally and professionally.

"When my dad was treated there he was so close to home it was really comforting.

"It's so sad for the community. The nurses do a tremendous job and there's not enough of them, regardless of this.

"It's just disappointing and there's not enough money in the community services.

"It's our community so it's worth fighting for."

The ward, which is a nurse-led, has 24 beds for patients who no longer require doctor care but are not ready to go home.

The hospital trust started a consultation with staff about the future of the ward on October 1.

The consultation was based on “demand, staffing and bed occupancy across its sites” and it is understood the trust wants to increase patient care in the community, outside of hospital.

The Northern Echo:

At a public meeting this week, Sharon Morgan, associate director of nursing at the trust, said it was working closely with health and social care teams to try to keep patients in their own homes.

Sue Jacques, chief executive of CDDFT, says no decisions on the future of the ward have been made.

A nurse, who has worked on ward six since it opened, said: "When patients go into the community they get four visits a day, which is at most two hours. For the other 22 hours there's no care. They want to send patients straight out to that.

"We think it's vital for ward six to be there.

"We are all really protective of the ward. We're a good ward. We take washing home for patients and do their shopping. Some of our former patients are here today."

 

Durham county councillor Tanya Tucker said: "It's good to see so many people supporting the nurses in the hospital and to have such a good turnout."

Durham county councillor Joy Allen said the NHS was "chronically underfunded".

She added: "Staff are bearing the pressure and it's fantastic the job they are doing. The support we have had over the last weeks is amazing.

"The nurses and the patients of Bishop Auckland Hospital deserve our support."

The Northern Echo:

Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman said: "People in Bishop Auckland love their hospital, they support their hospital and they need their hospital.

"Ward six has a good reputation among the public and it has a good reputation among staff.

"That's why it's fully staffed while there are vacancies in Durham and Darlington."

It is understood almost 5,000 people have signed a petition against the closure, which Mrs Goodman will present to Parliament.