THE row over the loss of health services in Pershore is escalating with Pershore Civic Society urging people to attend public meetings arranged for today and next Monday to voice their dissent at proposals by the new South Worcestershire PCT to close the town's Cottage Hospital.

Today's meeting was due to take place at 2pm and Monday's meeting is at 6pm, both at the Civic Centre, Pershore.

"Pershore Civic Society advocates that the present Cottage Hospital be kept and modernised at a later date," said Roy and Janet Daniels, on behalf of the society's executive. "The Minor Injuries Unit should be reinstated and the Priest Lane complex be left as it is for the time being and that public pressure be brought to bear for the huge PCT deficit to be removed by Government funding."

They stressed: "There must be public support calling for an urgent Department of Health public inquiry," and they urged people to lobby their MP and to attend the public meetings to voice their dissent.

The society executive held an extraordinary meeting on March 19 to discuss the urgent situation with regard to Pershore Cottage Hospital, Pershore Health Centre, the new Heathlands and the Priest Lane Dental practice.

Mr and Mrs Daniels said: "None of these are listed buildings that would automatically require the attention of the society. Nevertheless this society is not restricted to overseeing just the buildings in the town. It has a wider brief and the present situation with regard to Pershore's future health needs was considered to be a matter if urgency."

They said the net effect of the proposals was a loss of 18 rooms for elderly residents in Heathlands, no dementia unit, a new health centre would have to be built near Heathlands with all the corresponding problems of increased traffic congestion and totally inadequate parking spaces, and the loss of an NHS dental practice from Pershore to Evesham.