NHS hospital directors were faced with two separate protests when they arrived for a board meeting at a North-East hospital today (Thursday, October 23).

The demonstrations were held at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton over proposals to close two nurseries and downgrade a haematology unit.

The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust directors had to pass more than 20 protesters outside the main entrance of the hospital.

They included Unison officials, parent members of the Friends of North Tees Nurseries and nursery staff who are due to be made redundant in December.

Waving placards saying “Save Our Nurseries” and blowing whistles, they were calling on the directors to reverse their decision to close two day nurseries - one at the North Tees hospital and one at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

Mark Edmundson, area organiser for Unison, said: “They should have consulted with the unions, parents and the local community before pressing ahead with closure plans. This is a fantastic facility which is well used by staff and local residents.”

He warned that Unison was considering legal action over the nursery closure plans, which will make 54 staff redundant.

Deborah Ling, one of the parents who uses the North Tees Hospital nursery, said she would be willing to pay more to keep it open.

Outside the boardroom the directors were greeted by two leukaemia patients, June Ryder, 56, and Allison White, 37, both from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, waving “Save Our Haematology Unit” signs.

The chairman of the board of directors, Paul Garvin spoke to both sets of demonstrators before the meeting and explained the reasons why the board was backing controversial plans to close the nurseries and downgrade the eight-bedded haematology unit

Accepting a petition from the nursery campaigners, Mr Garvin stressed that the trust could no longer afford to subsidise the nurseries out of healthcare funds.

Mr Garvin also listened to the concerns of Mrs Ryder and Miss White, who both feel that alternatives such as Sunderland are too far away, and explained that the decision to downgrade the unit was due to the inability of the trust to recruit and retain senior doctors.

A trust spokeswoman said: “We will still be providing outpatient and haematology day unit services in both Hartlepool and Stockton with patients having access to the specialist care of our remaining haematologists.

"We will still be able to look after patients who need to be admitted to hospital as a result of a complication of their illness or treatment."