MOVES to give Hythe Hospital a much-needed facelift costing more than £700,000 have been hit by health service re-organisation.

Part of the long-awaited improvement scheme has been put on hold pending the launch of the New Forest Primary Care Trust.

The delay involves a £500,000 proposal to modernise the wards at the hospital and upgrade all the toilets and bathrooms.

The site is currently run by Southampton Community Health Services NHS Trust.

But the trust is about to transfer all its services in the Forest to the primary care group, which is due to come into being next month.

The massive shake-up has disrupted plans to carry out phase two of the hospital revamp. A community health services spokesman said: "We're funding phase one, but the second stage is now in the hands of the primary care trust.

"The new organisation needs to decide if and when it can afford to proceed with phase two.

"Hythe Hospital desperately needs this work. It's right at the top of the primary care trust's list, but it depends what their budget is and what their other priorities are.

"Hopefully it's just a question of when, not if, the work will be carried out."

Hythe councillor Brian Dash said: "Hythe Hospital provides an absolutely wonderful service for local people, particularly in areas such as maternity care.

"I hope the primary care trust follows up with the second phase of the improvement scheme as soon as the new organisation is launched."

A primary care trust spokesman said: "We want to make sure we get our fair share of money to spend on our community hospitals.

"Hythe Hospital is a very high priority and we're doing everything we can to obtain the funding for phase two of the improvement project."

Work on phase one of scheme started last week, when builders began to construct new facilities for seriously ill patients and their relatives.

The work will cost £210,000, much of which is being provided by the League of Friends.