Houchen got 'no reply' to new hospital letters

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen says he has written to the health secretary "13 times" about plans for a new hospital but has yet to receive a direct reply.

The Conservative peer, who was being quizzed by BBC Tees listeners, was asked by a caller for an update on the project at North Tees in Stockton, which one described as "not fit for purpose".

Houchen highlighted the importance of government involvement in delivering on his election promise, but he said his requests over the last year for a meeting with Wes Streeting remained unanswered.

The Department of Health has been approached for comment. University Hospitals Tees said its teams were working together to develop a plan.

Houchen was responding to listener Andy, from Ingleby Barwick, who said: "I just wanted to know what was going on because it is not fit for purpose for the residents in Stockton at the moment.

"I have been recently, all the ceiling tiles are falling in. It's very old and dated."

• BBC Sounds: Ben Houchen gives North Tees hospital update

Explaining his attempts to contact the health secretary, Houchen said: "I said I just wanted a meeting to talk to you about the need for a new hospital. I have not even received a reply. 13 times over the last 12 months.

"The only reply that I got, which was about a month ago, was his office, which replied saying: 'The secretary of state can't meet you and we will let you meet a junior minister at some point in the future'.

"Now to me that is not on."

Houchen said to build a "brand new state-of-the-art hospital" that served the Tees Valley region and beyond "requires government involvement."

"A new hospital is going to cost potentially £1bn and the secretary of state has to be involved in that process," he said.

"The fact that the secretary of state doesn't want to meet me speaks volumes."

Houchen was asked if he had raised the issue during his meetings with the prime minister and other mayors in Downing Street.

He said: "I raise it regularly with anybody that will listen to me, but ultimately because they have taken back control of the NHS the Secretary of State is ultimately the decision maker in the NHS."

A University Hospitals Tees spokesperson said: "Our estates and clinical teams are working collaboratively to develop a strategic outline case to support our ambitions."

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