ANGRY Milford residents have formed an action group to fight the closure of the village community hospital.

Milford Hospital Action Group will work with the Save Our Community Hospitals campaign which opposes any bed and hospital closures in the Forest.

South West Hampshire Alliance Primary Care Trust has ruled out an option to close all community inpatient beds at Hythe, Milford-on-Sea, Romsey and Fordingbridge hospitals, and at the Fenwick Hospital at Lyndhurst, which is already temporarily closed.

But other options bring Fenwick, Milford and Hythe hospitals into the firing line. And Milford residents fear that closing 19 beds in their wards will lead to complete closure of the hospital.

The PCT Alliance has to make massive savings.

New Forest PCT, which is part of the alliance, has just approved an £18.9 million recovery plan for 2005/6. But even if it achieves its target, it will still have a deficit of £8.6 million next April.

It says it will overcome the lack of beds by setting up clinics and providing nursing care in patients' homes.

Action group spokesman Noel Baptiste said: "The NHS has no moral right to close down a war memorial hospital, or any beds in it, which were paid for in the past by members of the local community and handed over in good faith to the NHS."

In addition, medical professionals in the village do not believe the deficit can be eliminated and patient care improved by the proposals.

They also predict difficulties locating the qualified medical staff needed for home care.

Milford Parish Council representative Sue Whitlock said: "The parish council is totally against the closures."

New Forest PCT stresses that there will be hospital beds for people in real need, but says it is consistently spending more than the government provides.

"Current services are not best for patients. Evidence shows there are better ways to provide care in 2005 and beyond," it says.

First publication: August 18