An NHS trust boss has said it is "unlikely" that the A&E department at Bishop Auckland Hospital will be restored, The Northern Echo can reveal.
The hospital lost its accident and emergency department in 2009 because NHS health chiefs said that specialist emergency resources and doctors were spread too thinly across three separate sites in County Durham.
Instead, Darlington Memorial Hospital and the University Hospital of North Durham were chosen as the sites to keep their A&E departments; a 12-mile journey for those living in Bishop Auckland.
Campaigns over the years, including one from then MP Dehenna Davison, have attempted to restore the accident and emergency department in Bishop Auckland, but have ultimately been unsuccessful.
Dehenna Davison
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
In the 17 years since Bishop Auckland lost its A&E department, patients have long questioned whether the NHS Trust would look into restoring the department.
And this month, The Northern Echo sat down for an exclusive interview with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) chief executive Steve Russell seeking answers.
We can now reveal that the Bishop Auckland Hospital A&E department is "unlikely" to reopen.
Mr Russell said: "It is unlikely Bishop Auckland Hospital will reopen as a full emergency hospital.
"It originally had that role, but it changed for several reasons, and those reasons have not changed.
"Bishop Auckland still has an important role. It was accredited several months ago as an elective hub.
Chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Steve Russell
(Image: Chris Booth)
"We carry out many planned procedures there, including hip and knee operations and some general surgery. Because it does not compete with emergency admissions, using Bishop Auckland to reduce planned surgery waiting times is our strategy."
In 2019, then Bishop Auckland MP, Ms Davison, was one of the main people calling for the resurrection of A&E services in the town.
This campaign saw MPs and supporters gather with placards outside the hospital in 2022 to try and push the idea of the A&E forward.
But, by 2023, the MP admitted that the campaign was at a stalemate.
Dehenna Davison called for the service to resume ever since being elected in 2019, 10 years on from
(Image: Dehenna Davison MP)
Speaking to the Northern Agenda podcast at the time, she said: “I wouldn't have campaigned on that as one of my core pledges if I didn't think it was needed and if I didn't think it was possible.
"I never said I'm going to bring back the A&E because I don't like those bold promises when you know that there's a chance that it might not happen.”
However, she admitted to not wanting to add extra pressure onto the NHS and “be the annoying MP on the side who's saying, 'yes, I know you're going through all that horrible stuff. But by the way, can we have the A&E back'.”
Ms Davison said however, that the decision was ultimately beyond her control, with health authorities having greater say over decisions than politicians.
Bishop Auckland Hospital has been accredited as an NHS surgical hub through the GIRFT programme, recognising the quality of its planned surgery services
(Image: SUPPLIED)
Last month, Bishop Auckland Hospital was instead recognised as a high-quality centre for planned surgery after being accredited as a surgical hub under a national NHS programme.
The hospital earned the accreditation through NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) scheme, which works in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England and is supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Surgical hubs are a key pillar of NHS plans to increase elective surgery capacity.
Read more
Emergency repairs as Bishop Auckland burst water main leaves 150 homes without water
Tragedy as boy, 12, dies after falling from roof of barn in Bishop Auckland
Delays and Bishop Auckland rail services disrupted after vehicle hits bridge
They operate independently from emergency services and are equipped with dedicated operating theatres, beds, and staff focused solely on planned care.
The hubs primarily deliver high-volume, low-complexity procedures across six main specialities: ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ENT, and urology.
To achieve accreditation, Bishop Auckland Hospital met a comprehensive set of requirements covering patient pathways, staffing, training, clinical governance, facilities, and operational efficiency.