CAMPAIGNERS for Westbury Hospital have vowed to continue their fight even though the last patients were moved out of the wards on Sunday.

Supporters attacked members of Wiltshire County Council's health and overview scrutiny committee on Wednesday to demand why they had allowed the hospital to close. They are also taking legal action against the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust because they say there was a lack of consultation with key stakeholders over the decision to close the hospital.

In Wednesday's meeting, supporters from the Westbury Hospital Campaign Group accused the health and overview scrutiny committee, who set up a task group to consider the implications of closing the hospital, of "abdicating responsibility" and having a kneejerk reaction to the PCT's financial dilemma.

League of Friends chairman Jenny Clements said she had been horrified at the scene as elderly patients were transferred from Westbury Hospital on Sunday. "I saw traumatised relatives not knowing where to go. I feel it's an absolute disgrace," she said.

"No one involved in this sad and sorry mess can hold their head up with pride."

She told the committee they had lost their credibility and hoped they and the PCT would learn from the "mess" they had created in Westbury. June Jaques, whose 86-year-old mother Janet Speare was forced to move to Melksham Hospital on Sunday, said she was furious with the PCT for their management of the situation.

She said her mum, a diabetic who had been at Westbury for five months following a severe stroke, had been left "frightened and confused" after the early-morning move. Mike Pearce told the committee that the last remaining patient in the hospital, Mena Rising, 77, could not be moved because of the severity of her cancer.

He said: "She's now in an empty hospital with only background noise with her husband holding her hand waiting for her to pass away." Chairman of the committee Roy While said he sympathised with the hospital supporters but denied there had been a kneejerk reaction.

He suggested a meeting should be held up with the key stakeholders to discuss what went wrong. Afterwards League of Friends vice-chairman Erica Watson said: "We are pleased to have the meeting but would have liked support before it was too late. "If they had given us that consideration or listened to the Westbury public in the first place then we wouldn't be in this situation now."

Last week the PCT refused an offer from the League of Friends to fund 10 nurses to keep the inpatient unit open, after saying they could not accept charitable money to fund staff.

  • PCT chief executive Carol Clarke announced on Wednesday the Pathways for Change public consultation would begin on April 7 and last for 13 weeks. She has already admitted there is a strong possibility more community hospitals may be closed in the bid to save £18m by next year.