CAMPAIGNERS will mark the first anniversary of the "temporary" closure of a Hampshire hospital tomorrow.

All 20 beds at the Fenwick Hospital in Lyndhurst were dramatically closed last year by cash-strapped health bosses, initially just for three months.

The threat of closure later spread to four more community hospitals at Hythe, Milford-on-Sea, Fordingbridge and Romsey.

However, New Forest Primary Care Trust, currently £10.6m in debt, had a rethink following a Daily Echo-backed campaign by the Save Our Community Hosp-itals action group.

Officials did a huge U-turn last October and instead approved plans to turn them into centres of excellence for stroke victims and orthopaedic patients.

A select number of campaigners will gather at the 100-year-old Lyndhurst hospital tomorrow to mark the anniversary.

Leading protestor Julian Lewis, New Forest East MP, said: "While we accept the assurances from the PCT that they have a positive attitude to the Fenwick, we are conscious that time is going by."

Square one

Dr Lewis said that there was also concern about the future of the New Forest PCT because the government is reviewing whether to merge a number of local trusts.

He said: "The PCT's days may be numbered and we do not wish to go back to square one."

Dr Lewis stressed that the event will not be a demonstration and is not designed to show hostility towards the trust.

He said: "It will be a timely reminder of the closure of the Fenwick and that we want it reopened. We want them to get on with it and give us a timetable against which we can measure progress."

John Richards, chief executive of New Forest PCT, said that he would notify Dr Lewis as soon as a detailed timetable was developed.

"We are working with local stakeholders, practices and with Leagues of Friends to develop plans for each hospital, including the Fenwick, as outlined at our public board meeting in November," he said.