Dr George Rae says plans for NHS have been developed ‘behind closed doors’ and can’t be achieved without further investment.
Radical plans to shake-up health services on Teesside will cost £115m – but NHS chiefs don’t have the cash, say leading doctors.
The region’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) aims to streamline services into “specialist centres” and plug a £281m annual deficit in the NHS budget.
The restructure could see consultant-led maternity and accident and emergency lost at North Tees University Hospital or Darlington Memorial.
But an investigation by the British Medical Association found the plan for Durham, Teesside and North Yorkshire would require a massive £115m in capital funding to deliver.
Dr George Rae, BMA North-east regional council chair, said the costs paint a “worrying picture” and cast doubt over whether the plan can be achieved.