CRUSADERS who have fought to save Gosport's Royal Hospital Haslar claim gaping health trust deficits are even more reason to keep the hospital up and running.

Former Haslar Taskforce leader Peter Edgar, says the fact Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust is having to rethink its finances to balance the books proves the need to keep services at Haslar alive.

He told the Daily Echo: "It cannot be right for a PCT which is millions of pounds in debt to scrap excellent and well-used facilities at an existing major hospital and spend even more on building a replacement."

Gosport MP Peter Viggers said it was time the government got behind efforts to refer the Haslar decision to an independent panel to be scrutinised objectively. "The fight for Haslar certainly isn't over yet," he said.

Last week the Daily Echo reported how new PCT chief executive John Wilderspin said the trust had to make up a £4.8m deficit.

But Mr Edgar said that morale among the health service and among patients was already at rock bottom and the possibility of cuts in staff and services would only make things worse.

"I get several complaints about health care services every week and this will make matters worse. We were hoping for new hands to mean a new start for the trust and even hoped Haslar could be looked at again."

He added: "If the PCT wants to gain the public confidence again they must take another look at keeping Haslar open and lobbying for government support to do so."

Gosport MP, Peter Viggers has spearheaded a campaign to get the Haslar decision considered by an independent reconfiguration panel.

But health minister John Hutton recently cancelled and failed to reschedule a meeting to discuss the matter.

Mr Viggers said: "I am writing to the health minister to reschedule the meeting. The Haslar decision must be looked at by a third party."

But Inger Hebden, director of strategic development for Fareham and Gosport PCT, said: "The Haslar decision is now with the secretary of state and we are awaiting his decision."