James Cook Hospital 'ready' for extra patients

It is estimated the hospital will only have an extra eight patients a day to cope with, hospital chiefs said

A hospital will "be able to handle extra patients" when a neighbouring A&E department closes temporarily, health bosses have said.

Critical care at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital will be suspended from 27 March.

There had been fears that James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough would not be able to cope with the extra patients.

But the trust which runs the hospital said it had "robust plans" and would only see an extra eight patients a day.

A&E services at the Friarage will temporarily change to an urgent treatment centre (UTC) on 27 March.

South Tees Foundation Trust, which is struggling to recruit consultants, said the majority of patients who attended A&E at the Friarage would still be treated there.

Hospital chiefs are struggling to recruit consultants to run the A&E properly

However, Bridget Moore, a former NHS administrator and long-term patient of both hospitals, said staff were already over-stretched, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

She said: "The Friarage serves 120,000 people and one of the whole of the military service and their families at Catterick which is the largest military garrison in Europe.

"The staff at both hospitals are brilliant, but they are already over-stretched without any more people coming in."

A spokesman for the trust said: "Through the robust planning work we are undertaking we are very confident that the James Cook is able to manage this additional patient demand.

"Most patients from Hambleton and Richmondshire with life-threatening illnesses and injuries are currently treated at James Cook or Darlington Memorial Hospital."