Bishop Auckland Hospital

The original hospital in the town, known as the Bishop Auckland Infirmary, was built in around 1910. It joined the National Health Service as the Bishop Auckland General Hospital in 1948. Facilities management services are provided by ISS. There was also controversy over the 'decline of services' generally at the hospital at that time. In June 2009, it was announced that the hospital's children's ward would close from 1 July 2009, with all services transferred to Darlington and Durham, a decision that was attacked by campaigners against the hospital's downgrading, but defended by NHS management on the basis of paediatric specialists being "spread too thin". The hospital lost its acute…