NEW fears on the future of the Westbury specialist stroke unit surfaced after health bosses admitted the unit could be moved.

The unit closed two weeks ago because of a staffing crisis and patients were been shifted to other less-specialised hospitals.

But this week health bosses refused to confirm Westbury is the only option for a new unit and are instead looking at alternatives around west Wiltshire.

Jenny Clements, chairman of Friends of Westbury Community Hospital, said: "I can't believe they would put all that money into the stroke unit in Westbury only to pack up and start from scratch elsewhere."

A new law to be enforced from April instructs every PCT to set up and run a specialist stroke unit. Despite confirming that the PCT is still attempting to recruit extra staff health bosses would not confirm that the unit would stay at Westbury Community Hospital if it was reopened.

Hilary Fairfield, director of services, said: "Our priority is to reopen a stroke unit in west Wiltshire. Although we have already contacted doctors, the RUH in Bath and locum doctors to no effect we are redoubling our efforts."

Other options are believed to be moving the unit to nearby community hospitals where staffing levels are higher.

Patients quizzed health bosses at the annual general meeting in Trowbridge yesterday. Michael Pierce, Westbury town councillor and member of the Westbury Area Health Forum, said: "The people of Westbury and the whole district need to know what direction this hospital is going in."