TWO sets of health chiefs have unanimously approved proposals for a single new hospital to replace the current facilities at Lydney and the Dilke at Cinderford.

The boards of both Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust (GCS) and the Gloucestershire Commissioning Group have backed the principle of a new hospital.

No site has been set for the hospital – although it has been agreed that it will be within 30 mintues travelling time of most people of the Forest – and the boards say more work will done to allay fears over bed numbers.

During a recent consultation, a minimum figure of 24 was suggested but the boards are concerned that many people think that will be actual numbers.

Both sets of boards, which met at the Forest Hill Golf Club in Coleford on Thursday (January 25) agreed that nothing had come out of the consultation – which saw 46 per cent against the single hospital proposal against 43 per cent for – which undermined the ’case for change’.

Campaigners say they will continue to fight the plans for a single hospital and are planning to raise funds to pay for a judicial review.

Campaign group HOLD (Hands off Lydney and the Dilke) claim both the case for change and the consultation were “flawed”.

For the full story see next week’s Review.