A CRISIS at a Hampshire hospital that left scores of cancelled operations has been resolved after a breakthrough meeting last night.

Doctors who refused to carry out operations at the Royal Hospital Haslar due to a lack of post-operative cover met with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust officials to thrash out a compromise that has left an estimated 3,000 operations cancelled.

The clinical care ward that was closed last week by the Trust should be re-opened next Monday after an agreement was reached over finding extra staffing cover.

Acting chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust Jan Elliott said: "Everybody involved, doctors, nurses and managers are absolutely committed to making Haslar an affective hospital. We now have the opportunity to ensure the hospital works."

Leader of Gosport council Peter Edgar welcomed the announcement that operations will resume but said the episode should serve as a warning to the health service.

He said: "If these problems are starting now then what will it be like when the population in Gosport is set to rise by thousands over the next few years. It is very worrying particularly if the MoD continue with their policy of relocating to Birmingham and taking staff from Haslar with them."

Yesterday the Ministry of Defence came under fire from the Institute of Professionals, Managers and Specialists union who represent more than 300 staff at the hospital.

The IPMS accused the MoD of "washing its hands" of the hospital after failing to intervene.

Spokesperson for IMPS David Luxton said: "Certainly it is a relief that operations will begin again but we feel the MoD should have taken swifter action as owners of the hospital to get the situation resolved.

"This shows that having a dialogue between the Trust and the doctors is important and might have helped avoid the situation."

Ministry spokesperson Ian Wilder refused to comment on whether the MoD had offered any practical help to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust or if the situation endangered the future of Haslar.