HEALTH chiefs look set to give the green light to the next stage in providing a new, single hospital for the Forest – despite not getting the backing of a majority of local people in a recent consultation.

The board of Glou­cestershire Care Services NHS Trust – which is working with the county’s Care Commissioning Group on proposals for a hospital – will meet in Coleford tomorrow (Thursday) to decide what to do next.

Campaign group HOLD – Hands off Lydney and the Dilke – has already called on the trust to “respect the democratic decision” of the consultation which saw 46 per cent of respondents reject the “case for change”, 43 per cent back the single hospital proposal and 12 per cent ‘undecided’ – although the number supporting the move went up to 49 per cent among those who attended a consultation event.

The group rejects the trust’s view that the current hospitals are nearing the end of their useful lives, with the campaigners saying the £11 million earmarked for the new facility should be spent on the existing hospitals.

But the report to the trust board, written by chief executive Katie Norman, recommends that the ‘preferred option’ of a new, single hospital to replace the current community hospitals at Lydney and Dilke, Cinderford should get the backing of the board.

While insisting both the trust and commissioning group are “committed to ensuring these (the community’s) views are fully taken into account”, the board is also asked to confirm that nothing in the consultation “would bring into question” the case for change.

The report also notes “a number of important themes and issues which will require serious consideration... to determine whether these issues, taken together, should move us away from our preferred option.”

The major issues for those who rejected the proposals were: bed numbers, transport and insufficient detail, particularly on the site of the new hospital.

Many of those who responded were concerned that the total of 48 beds across the two hospitals would be reduced to 24.

The report asks the board to ‘confirm’ that final bed numbers have not been agreed and that there will be enough to meet demand from within the Forest.

The trust says a ‘significant proportion’ of in-patients at Lydney and the Dilke are from Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The report also calls for transport issues to be ‘reflected’ in the consideration of a site if the preferred option is agreed and to work with the Forest Council to ensure figures for population growth are accurate.

In terms of the location of the new hospital, local people said it should be no more than 30 minutes by car for the majority of Forest residents.

It should also be

accessible by public transport and that it should be complete by 2022.

The board will meet in public at Forest Hills Golf Club in Mile End Road tomorrow (Thursday).

A joint seminar between the board and the Gloucestershire Care Commissioning Group will set out the results of the consultation.

The seminar, which is also at Forest Hills, is open to the public and starts at 12.30pm with the board meeting due to start at 1pm.