CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save the Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport are insisting the battle is far from over despite a fruitless meeting with a government health minister.
Delegates travelled to Westminster in London hoping to get support from the top but came home deflated after health chief Lord Warner said Haslar would inevitably close by 2008.
Campaign leader Peter Edgar said he is hoping the hospital will stay open when health chiefs admit they have no choice but to keep services running in the wake of lagging private finance initiative (PFI) plans for the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth.
Mr Edgar said even if the finances for the £1 billion redevelopment of the QA - which will see the transfer of all acute services from Haslar to the Portsmouth hospital - are signed at the end of the year, facilities will not be ready before Haslar closes.
"It is really worrying," said Mr Edgar.
"The transition of services from Haslar to the QA had not been thought through carefully."
Council leader Sean Woodward said: "It seems to me that we are facing a complete destruction of our health services especially here in Fareham."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article