Winchester MP Mark Oaten has welcomed news of a stay of execution for the King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst.

He was a member of a cross-party group of MPs who held an eleventh-hour debate in Parliament, pressing the Government to save the hospital.

As a result, Whitehall came up with a £1m emergency funding package and NHS contracts with the hospital have been secured until the end of the current financial year.

"This is great news for the community and for the staff. It's also good news for other hospitals in the area who have depended on Midhurst radiotherapy facilities in the past and would no doubt be affected by its closure," said Mr Oaten.