PLANS for a new hospital in Malmesbury will be revealed tonight as consultation continues on proposals that look set to slash outpatient and maternity services.
Malmesbury Hospital Project Board, made up of councillors, GPs, hospital staff, patients' groups and members of the PCT, will present its plans to St Paul's Without Parish Council at the hospital at 7.30pm.
The board decided the new hospital should be built at the existing Burton Hill site. But exactly what services it will provide remains uncertain.
Campaigners were shocked by Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust's proposals in January, which cut outpatient services from 27 to eight and moved the maternity unit to Chippenham. They said the hospital faced closure and would be left little more than a nursing home with a doctors' surgery and clinic.
Trust chairman Tim Boucher defended the recommendations. In a letter to county councillor Carole Soden he said: "Far from closing, we see the future Malmesbury Hospital site as a flagship."
The hospital would still have a minor injuries service and a private pharmacy, should the proposals be adopted next month.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article