CLOSING BISHOP AUCKLAND HOSPITAL A&E IS A BITTER BLOW

12.00.00am GMT Wed 4th Mar 2009

Commenting on the decision to close the Bishop Auckland General Hospital A&E department Lib Dem North East MEP, Fiona Hall, said:

"This is a bitter blow to the people of Bishop Auckland who have fought so hard to keep their A&E facility. The strength of local support has been remarkable. People have signed up to petitions and countless Facebook groups and turned out it in huge numbers to Save Our Hospital rallies.

"I remain concerned that the hospitals in Darlington and Durham are simply too far away to provide a timely A&E response, not least for people living in the remoter communities of upper Weardale. There is a danger that the downgrading of facilities in Bishop Auckland will mean a downgrading of the quality of emergency treatment available to people in this area. It is up to the authorities who have taken this decision to prove that the alternative they are proposing actually works."