Views sought over £200m A&E plans

People are being given their final chance to comment on plans for a shake-up of hospital services in Northumberland and North Tyneside.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust wants to downsize accident and emergency facilities in Wansbeck and North Tyneside hospitals.

Under the £200m proposals, patients would be sent to a new specialist emergency care unit near Cramlington.

A public consultation has been running since May and will end on 28 July.

Over the next two weeks public meetings will be held in Otterburn, Prudhoe, Ponteland and Ashington.

Lyn Dixon, executive director of service modernisation for NHS North of Tyne, said: "The views of local people are really important and we need to take them into consideration before deciding whether or not to support these proposals."

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