PLANS to secure Savernake Hospital's future by expanding its services will cost between £3 and £4 million, a public meeting heard on Tuesday.

About 200 people attended the meeting called by the Savernake Hospital Inquiry Fund Trust which was set up ten years ago to ensure that Savernake Hospital had a future place in the changing hospital scene.

SHIFT and Wiltshire Health Authority jointly commissioned a survey by the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care of ways that Savernake's services could be improved.

Its recommendations have been turned into an action plan by Peter Williams, who was appointed project manager in March.

Mr Williams told the meeting in Marlborough Town Hall that if the plans were approved by the South West regional office of the NHS and the capital was available possibly through a joint venture arrangement with a private backer the new services at Savernake could be up and running by the end of 2002.

The group is optimistic about its chances of a favourable response from the NHS .

Mr Williams outlined proposals to turn the hospital into a care village which include:

l Extending out-patients to handle 8,000 visits a year instead of 7,000

l Enlarging the minor injuries unit

l Building a new 35-bed intermediate care unit providing a half-way care service between hospital and home.

l Expanding the rehabilitation services

l Provision of facilities for complementary therapies

Concern was expressed at the meeting that Savernake would be losing it stroke unit, which will be transferred to the new hospital being built at Swindon.

Harry Beckhough, from River Park, a voluntary worker in the stroke unit, said he could not see any benefit in moving it to the new hospital at Common Head.

In response Mr Williams said while stroke patients would receive the acute care they need in the early stages at the new general hospital it was proposed they would move back to the Savernake intermediate care unit for rehabilitation.

Wiltshire Social Services director Ray Jones told the meeting that he welcomed the care village concept which would see the work of his department and the health service blending together.

Health authority chief executive Jeremy Hallett said having social services and health services working together was an ideal situation.

Barbara Smith, the chief officer of the Ridgeway Downs primary care group, welcomed the opportunity to provide extended and better services at Savernake.

Marlborough Mayor Maurice Cooper asked if consideration could be given to providing accommodation for younger nurses and hospital workers in particular because of high prices in the town.

Vonnie Dickens, from Wootton Rivers, welcomed the extension to the minor injuries unit but said she hoped more people from the villages would realise that it was not just for Marlborough people but for anyone from the district.