What does the NHS Trust's funding bid actually mean for local services?

We knew all along that the prospect of a shiny new, unwanted hospital at Wynyard was a sham designed to appease health campaigners. When the Wynyard mirage faded we were told that the only alternative would be to transfer services to North Tees hospital, effectively leaving Hartlepool hospital to wither on the vine.

The rally earlier this year in support of Hartlepool hospital

Now, on BBC Radio Tees this morning, the NHS Trust chief executive has admitted that the hospital at North Tees is not actually "fit for purpose" (his words). The obvious course of action now would be to return all services to the perfectly fit for purpose hospital at Hartlepool, right? No wrong! Instead the Trust has decided to go cap in hand to the government asking for £25m to invest in North Tees hospital to bring it up to a standard already surpassed by the one at Hartlepool (and remember, this is the same government that is using austerity as a political tool to strangle North East services and communities). 

Would it be overly cynical to think that the government will refuse to stump up the cash, leaving the NHS Trust to close both Hartlepool and North Tees hospitals? Watch this space....