THERE is a move afoot to downgrade Darlington Memorial A&E to a walk-in centre.

This is the idea being suggested by the Sustainable Transformation Partnership set up by Whitehall.

The review team say we need an extra £281m in the south of the region. Where did that come from?

We rent Bishop Auckland Hospital and the MRI Scanner in Darlington.

This is costing a fortune for the NHS. These are not good deals.

This money going to private investors could be used for front line patient care instead.

I have no idea how far Alasdair MacConachie and the Darlington Round Table are to raising the money for a replacement MRI Scanner in Darlington but I wish them every success in their efforts.They could save the NHS more than £2m a year.

Nigel Boddy, solicitor and former parliamentary researcher, Darlington