WYCHAVON district councillors are planning to step in to save Pershore Cottage Hospital.

At a full council meeting on Tuesday they resolved to urge the Primary Care Trust for more time to enable them to put forward firm proposals.

The council is planning to invest up to £4m in a new two storey building either on the present Cottage Hospital site in Defford Road or on Civic Centre land near the new Heathlands residential home.

In a report from the all-party scrutiny committee, chairman Judy Pearce slated the PCT for its "panic" cost cutting measures to make up for a budget deficit of £5.7m.

She said: "We are concerned about the way matters in Pershore are being handled by the Primary Care Trust. The proposals to move to Heathlands had been mooted with no serious consideration of any alternatives.

"The PCT is trying to get into financial balance no matter who falls untreated by the wayside, how many services go, and how many GP's tear their hair out."

Coun Liz Tucker, who earlier presented a 731 signature petition to the council to call on the PCT to halt their "damaging" proposals, said: "We should say 'no' to Heathlands and the loss of 25 residential care beds and the dementia unit." Coun Trudy Burge said: "The whole exercise for Pershore has been absolutely cruel and the consultation has been shambolic."

Members also claimed that the short consultation period coming so near to council elections was illegal, and could be referred to the Secretary of State if it was not extended.

Feelings were riding high earlier this week at two public consultation meeting in Evesham. The Trust stressed that it had to hand over services normally paid for by county council's social services if it was to make the necessary savings. The Trust is asking the county council to pay up or loose the services such as day rehabilitation and occupational therapy work.

Evesham Town Councillor Frances Smith said the carers would end up in hospital with their patients because they would not be able to cope if services were reduced.

District councillor Tom Bean said there was a fine line between health services and social services and was told Worcestershire County Council would have to put in £500,000 to save services they should already be providing.

Trust chief executive Mike Ridley said modernisation of Evesham Community Hospital in the future could be funded by private or independent money and an in-depth analysis of the hospital's services would be undertaken in a couple of months.

As part of the wider review Evesham Community Hospital's minor injuries unit will have staff levels cut if proposals go ahead and the partial closure of the hospital dining room.

Chief executive of the Primary Care Trust, Mike Ridley said: "I have only just received the proposals and we will need to study them as a matter of urgency before we can make a decision.

"I am glad there are other options on the table, but I will need to be assured from a financial point of view that they will not cost the Trust any more than the Heathlands option."

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