PLANS for a new, single hospital for the Forest have been unanimously approved by health chiefs but a group opposed to closing the current facilities at Lydney and the Dilke says it could mount a legal challenge.

The boards of both the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust (GCS) – which runs community services including small hospitals – and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for planning health services, gave the go-ahead for the next stage of planning.

But they say they will have to work to win over sceptics after a recent consultation showed 46 per cent of respondents against a single hospital, 43 per cent in favour and 12 per cent undecided.

Despite those figures, both boards agreed that none of the issues raised in the consultation had affected the fundamentals of the ‘case for change’.

Among the key concerns were the location of the new hospital, the number of beds and transport.

Many people suggested that the £11 million of NHS money to be invested in the new hospital should go to upgrading Lydney and the Dilke.

Gloucestershire Care Services chief executive Katie Norman said: “The inclusion of a statement setting out what we hoped would be a real commitment to making sure this new investment provides the right number of in-patient beds to meet the needs of the the Forest of Dean has led to concerns that we have taken a view on the number of beds – as opposed to setting out very clearly what we know will be the minimum and a commitment to making sure we get it right.

“We know that has led to a perception that this is about reducing services when really what we are trying to do is to make sure we invest in the right services.

“Travel and access we know are already, and will continue to be, an issue and we are committed to doing what we can to work with partners.

“There is a need to provide greater clarity and explain better why investing in the two sites was not a viable option.”

Ms Norman said the age of the buildings and having two hospitals make it “increasingly difficult to maintain essential services across two sites – some of the workforce challenges have become very real.”

But she also recognised the “extraordinary” level of support for those working at the Forest hospitals from people who responded to the survey.

She said: “There has been nothing but overwhelmingly positive views about the quality of care.

“I hope colleagues feel rightly proud of what they have been doing and the appreciation for that.

“It has been extraordinary in my opinion – the quality of care has been a golden thread running through the consultation.”

The next stage will be to form a panel made up of medical staff, managers and local people that will recommend a location to the GCS and CCG boards.

Campaign group HOLD – Hands Off Lydney and the Dilke – says it will now start fund-raising to mount a judicial review of the decision.

Owen Adams, of HOLD, said: “They (the boards) are contradicting their own strategy documents and we think we have a very strong legal case.

“They have failed to confirm there will be no loss of beds at a time when we need more healthcare not less.

“There have been consultants’ reports in the past which have said that because of the geography and population patterns, we need two hospitals in their current locations.”