Meeting to discuss future of fertility services at Hartlepool hospital.

The special meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Audit & Governance Committee follows the shock announcement earlier this month by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust that it will no longer provide licensed fertility treatment.

It included IVF, after March from the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

This prompted anger from senior Hartlepool councillors who immediately summoned hospital bosses to the Civic Centre to explain the decision at a meeting on Friday, February 5.

Councillor Ray Martin-Wells, chair of the council’s Audit & Governance Committee, said: “In October last year the hospital trust made us aware that they were having some staff recruitment difficulties but at no time have they mentioned closing fertility services at Hartlepool.

“I have summoned the trust – a statutory power the Audit and Governance Committee has as the scrutiny arm of the council - to explain this shock decision.

“Members of the Audit & Governance Committee will be given the opportunity first to put questions to the hospital trust representatives and this will be followed by questions from members of the public.”

The meeting, in the Council Chamber, starts at 2.30pm.

Doors open at 2pm and seats will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

For further information, call the council on 01429 524142.