COUNCILLORS have hit out at a decision by leaders of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to extend overnight closures at its three urgent care centres for a further three months.

Since last December, urgent care centres at Hexham, North Tyneside and Wansbeck general hospitals have been closed between midnight and 8am.

The trust says the temporary change in opening times was put in place to maximise the skills of staff during the busy winter period. But, despite being into spring, the overnight closures have been extended until June.

At a meeting held last Thursday the trust’s board unanimously agreed that it would be “wholly inappropriate” to deploy staff back at the current time.

The trust says data collected since December suggests there has been no detrimental impact on patient care or any significant change in the number of people accessing services overnight at The Northumbria emergency care hospital in Cramlington as a result.

According to the trust, before the closures, there was an average of only two attendances overnight at Hexham.

Dr Jeremy Rushmer, the trust’s executive medical director, said: “There is no real evidence that the public are missing this service.

“All we have done is respond to when the majority of patients are using the urgent care services.

“Overnight activity has always been minimal as those who are seriously ill or injured are cared for in exactly the right place, at The Northumbria hospital.”

However, councillors in Hexham have called for the decision to be reviewed.

“The statistics they roll out are just masking the problem in my opinion,” said county councillor for Hexham East, Cath Homer.

“It’s the pressure that the closure of Hexham puts on other hospitals when people have to chose whether to travel to Cramlington or Newcastle for help in the dead of night.

“I’ve seen the impact this has first hand and there are so many real stories out there from people that I think the trust needs to take this seriously and review the decision.”

Hexham West’s Coun. Derek Kennedy said: “As I said last year it always starts with the false promise of its ‘only a temporary measure’ which then turns into a permanent move. “

Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman said he would be meeting with trust representatives to ask about the decision and added: “I have consistently said I am willing to listen to the expert medical advice from local doctors who say this temporary measure is the right step. I must reiterate that in my opinion it must be a temporary one.”