HUNDREDS of people stopped to sign a petition against downgrading services at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

The petition was launched by Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman on Saturday (September 12), calling for midwife led maternity and breast screening units to be reinstated at the hospital and to guarantee the urgent care centre's funding for the next ten years.

Mrs Goodman said: “I think the trust is completely out of touch with what people are thinking and I think if local people show how strongly they feel about wanting to keep all these services in the hospital the trust will need to listen.

“It was a very positive response from people, I would say it was the most positive response I have ever had. No one said no to signing the petition all day. We don’t know exactly how many we got but he had hundreds of signatures.”

Last week Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust told The Northern Echo that routine breast screening continues from mobile units at Bishop Auckland while the mid-wife led unit remained closed as consultants and midwives felt they could not guarantee a safe outcome for mums who needed to be transferred to other hospitals due to complications.

The trust added there were no plans to close the urgent care centre.