Portsmouth and South East Hampshire health authority is planning to take over the site of a military hospital at the centre of heated debate among local people angered at Ministry of Defence plans to close it down.

The Royal Hospital, Haslar, on the tip of the Gosport peninsula, was set up to train medical personnel for military situations, but also offers a service to NHS patients.

The MoD decided to close the last forces hospital in the UK in 1998 because it was no longer viable and could not meet royal medical colleges requirements for doctors training.

The nearest NHS hospital is two miles away, but mainly of fers community services. Otherwise, patients face a 10-mile journey to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham. The HA now plans to:

develop a day-case diagnostic, out - patient and accident treatment centre at Haslar, subject to MoD agreement;

maintain Gosport War Memorial Hospital as a community hospital;

and centralise services for seriously ill and injured patients at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

Changes to Health Services for Residents of Gosport and south Fareham.

http://portsha.hants.org.uk