Mayor feels 'fobbed off' over new hospital plans
BBCA mayor who said he wanted to replace a hospital that was "not fit for purpose", said he was being "fobbed off" by Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Tees Valley Conservative, Ben Houchen said he has tried to contact Streeting to discuss plans to replace the North Tees Hospital 15 times without a reply.
Last year Conservatives and Labour clashed over investment in the crumbling hospital when Stockton West Conservative MP Matt Vickers said the government had "failed to allocate a single penny".
The Department of Health has been approached for comment.
Last year Houchen said he had written to the Department for Health repeatedly to request a meeting with the health secretary, but had been unsuccessful.
In January he said local health bosses were putting together a report about where local services should be provided.
Last month Streeting said "Ben is very welcome to show me the colour of his money if he wants to fund hospital improvements in North Tees" and that he was "very happy to talk to him about it".
Houchen said he was working on a hospital plan with local councils, the local health trust and the Integrated Care Board, which would be revealed in the coming months.
He said they were considering how hospital care services could be delivered either in the community or in a new hospital.
"There is recognition from everybody that we need a hospital to replace North Tees Hospital," he said.
'We're being pied'
He said at some point the government would "have to listen to me" to discuss the plans.
He also said it should fund a new hospital, but if that was not possible he would look at funding it locally.
Streeting had said hospital staff "were doing their best" but "it wasn't easy" in "that environment".
He added: "Given I work in the same building as Lord Houchen, it shouldn't be too difficult to do that [to meet]."
Houchen said " I think we're being pied", meaning he felt ignored.
"They're going to have to stop ignoring all of my letters and have a meeting so we can have a sensible conversation about it," he added.
