‘Are we getting to a point where there will be only two hospitals in the North East?’

He said: “They have to make sure that very ill babies are safe, but having said that, this is a worrying trend of services going even further away from patients that are having to travel for them.

“Are we getting to a point where there will be only two hospitals in the North East? People want to see local services, and although they have to do everything in their power to make sure that sick infants are well looked after, people need that access to services too.

“If you don’t drive and you don’t have family members who you can rely on, this would add extra stress at a time when all your mind should really be on is, ‘is my baby going to get better?’

“The NHS should be trying of course to make these babies better as a first priority but the parents need to be thought of as well.

“It seems that this centralisation is pushing services even further away from Hartlepool.”

Jon Tomlinson, Better Health Services programme director at the North and England Commissioning Support Unit, which looks at services across County Durham, Darlington and Teesside, said: “Health commissioners continuously monitor and review services to make sure they meet patient needs now and will continue to do so in the future.

“The report raises some important issues, which commissioners will consider alongside the views of patients and the public in the discussion we are having with local people on providing better health services across Darlington, Durham and Tees over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Alan Foster, chief executive at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are aware that this report was discussed at the committee meeting for consideration and that further work required by the committee will take place.”