PLANS to build a Teesside "super-hospital" at Wynyard Park have been suspended.

The decision to "pause" the scheme has been taken by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust after it failed to receive Government backing 

The trust said in a statement that its board was "unanimously committed" to developing a new hospital to meet the future healthcare needs of the people of Hartlepool, Stockton, Easington and Sedgefield.

However, it added that the board felt the complexities of the approval process were such that without high-level political support it did not believe it would be able to get final approval before the end of this parliament.

Chief executive Alan Foster said: “The new hospital is a fundamental part of our integrated health and social care strategy for the 21st century. When the momentum: pathways to healthcare programme was launched it was one of the three strategic aims of the programme, and it still is.

“However a general election is now looming and the board recognises that any new government is likely to wish to review all new developments in the light of its own priorities. As a result, there will inevitably be further delay in the completion of a new hospital.  The board has therefore decided to pause the development work on the new hospital.

“I, along with the board of directors, believe it is wise at this time, to ensure that delay does not compromise the major advances that have been made to date, in the quality and efficiency of local services. We will therefore engage with our staff and the public to seek views on how to deliver more care closer to home where possible and secure further investment in community based services, while continuing to centralise services where necessary to maintain and improve the safety and quality of hospital-based provision.”

It is understood that ministers believe the business case for the facility, which would replace outdated facilities at the University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospital of North Tees, is not strong enough.

In 2010 the then Health Minister Simon Burns announced that the Coalition Government was cancelling proposals to open a state-of-the art £464m hospital at Wynyard Park, near Billingham, because of the cost.

However, designs for a cheaper £300m facility were drawn up and it was hoped these would be backed by ministers.

The suspension was immediately welcomed by Stockton South Conservative MP James Wharton.

He said: "The trust has not convinced the public to support these plans and without public support such significant reconfigurations cannot be carried through.

"People have told me in overwhelming numbers that they do not want this scheme and many will welcome the decision to suspend work.

"Scrapping the Wynyard Hospital plan was one of the first things the new government did, but the idea lived on. This process has taken years and cost a fortune. The Treasury has been clear that more information would be needed before any money could be approved and the Trust has now decided it cannot provide it."

Hartlepool Labour MP Iain Wright tweeted: "NHS Trust suspended Wynyard: not good enough to centralise services at North Tees. Trust must commit to move services back to Hartlepool."

The trust's board said it would keep this position under active review in the light of national developments and would continue to work closely with local NHS commissioners and with its partners in local government to improve the integration and quality of care for local people.