THE fight to save Royal Hospital Haslar was top of the agenda again as patients were given a platform to have their say on a major overhaul of NHS services in Fareham and Gosport yesterday.

Campaigners stood firm in their vocal support for the 250-year-old historic hospital in Lee-on-the-Solent, but health bosses revealed for the first time that the option to keep Haslar open would cost nearly twice as much as opening modern community hospitals in the two towns.

Members of the board of Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust (PCT) have narrowed the options down to two, but one is £22m more costly than the other - £51m as opposed to £29m.

The more expensive option, which would also cost costing £4.8m a year to run, would provide new buildings when and where needed on a "like for like" basis.

A new Fareham Community Hospital would replace Fareham Health Centre and Hill Park Clinic.

Haslar and Gosport War Memorial Hospital would be retained, providing an accident treatment centre, outpatients, diagnostics, minor surgery, occupational therapy and continuing care.

The second option, with annual running costs of just over £3m, would develop community hospitals as the hub of health services in both towns.

A Fareham Community Hospital, probably at Coldeast in Sarisbury, would be built and the Gosport War Memorial Hospital extended. There would be new health centres in Fareham and Gosport and replacement clinics, substance misuse services and community mental health facilities.

Gosport MP Peter Viggers said: "We mustn't forget that there were 22,000 at a rally to save Haslar. Local people are absolutely determined that Haslar should remain, no matter what. Local people want their services provided locally and these facilities should be provided at Haslar."

Alan Pickering, the PCT's director of finance, added: "While finance isn't going to be the only criterion, it will be the key one.

"We have to live within the money that's available to us and there would have to be a reduction in services elsewhere if the more costly option was taken forward."

Poor transport, the lack of an accident treatment centre in Fareham, development delays at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, the future of the St Christopher's Hospital site in Wickham Road, Fareham, and hospital cleanliness were also among issues discussed at the first of four public meetings to shape health services in the two towns.

Leaflets returned to the PCT so far have indicated that 735 respondents prefer option one, 344 are in favour of option two and 565 just want to see Haslar remain open.

Further public meetings take place next Monday at Thorngate Halls, Gosport at 9.30am and Ferneham Hall, Fareham at 7pm.

A final decision will be made at an extraordinary board meeting at Cams Hill School in Portchester on November 3.