Hartlepool MP promised meeting over hospital upgrade plan

The University Hospital of Hartlepool lost its A&E department in 2011

Hartlepool's MP has been promised a meeting with health ministers "within days" to discuss plans to upgrade services at the town's hospital.

Jill Mortimer was given the assurance during a House of Commons debate about Tees Valley health services.

Local people have been campaigning for the return of University Hospital of Hartlepool's accident and emergency department which closed in 2011.

Health minister Will Quince said he would ensure a meeting was held.

Speaking in the parliamentary debate, Conservative Jill Mortimer said the town's health problems were one reason why there needed to be new investment in its hospital.

"Both long-term and temporary sickness are cited as the main reason for unemployment in Hartlepool," she said.

"At 33%, that is higher than the national rate of 25%, suggesting that poor health outcomes are the main driver of unemployment in the region and underlining the significant need for a return of good health services locally."

Hartlepool's MP Jill Mortimer wants the town's hospital to be upgraded

But the MP, who took the seat from Labour in 2021, also placed the blame for the lack of investment on her predecessors.

She added: "Sadly, Hartlepool has not been championed by my predecessors - the Labour MPs who went before me - resulting in a significantly lower amount of investment compared with surrounding regions."

Labour hit back, accusing the government of blocking a plan to create a multimillion-pound Centre of Excellence at the hospital with a full accident and emergency department.

'Draw in patients'

Councillor Jonathan Brash, the deputy leader of the Labour group on Hartlepool Council, said health ministers had rejected the plan, despite it recently getting cross-party support from the local authority.

He said: "The Centre of Excellence bid is an excellent one. It will draw in patients and funding, and secure the hospital's long-term future.

"Beyond that we also need to bring back some of the services that have disappeared over the last decade.

"Ultimately, that is only going to happen if we've got a government in Westminster prepared to back it with funding, and at the moment the government don't appear to be up for that."

A bid to build a replacement for Stockton's North Tees Hospital was also discussed during the debate.

Stockton North Labour MP Alex Cunningham called for politicians to work together to secure improvements in the area's NHS, saying the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government had cancelled plans for a new hospital covering both Hartlepool and Stockton in 2010.

Alex Cunningham said politicians should work together to improve health services

He said: "We heard a tale of woe from the MP for Hartlepool who spoke of a lack of capacity, difficult buildings, buildings falling down - all manner of problems after 13 years of Conservative rule.

"Does the minister agree that we should work together to secure what we need - new hospital facilities to serve our communities on Teesside?"

Health minister Will Quince said the application for the new hospital in Stockton would be assessed, but a decision was yet to be made on whether it would secure funding.

But he told Ms Mortimer he would press her case for a meeting with ministers to discuss Hartlepool's case.

He said: "She has made her case very articulately and eloquently, and certainly very strongly.

"I will ensure that her representations are brought to the attention of both the secretary of state and health minister Lord Markham, and that she secures the meeting, for which she has been waiting too long."