INFLUENTIAL campaigners have joined forces to form a single and powerful voice to battle for the future of Milford Hospital.

Local politicians, councils, GPs, Surrey Age Concern, the hospital's League of Friends, UNISON and the patients' forum met on Sunday and agreed that working together would give them the best chance of saving the hospital.

"It would be tragic to lose Milford Hospital and its equally valuable day hospital," local GP, Dr John Blowers explained. "It is no surprise that all in our local community are of the same view."

The first meeting of the cross-community group was called with the support of Lib Dem Simon Cordon and Conservative Jeremy Hunt who are working together on the campaign.

The group has said that its meeting has sent out a strong message to the public that the closure of the hospital was not a foregone conclusion and that the local primary care trust (PCT) could now be forced to withdraw its plan.

The campaign group is urging as many people as possible to attend the formal consultation meetings being held by the PCT.

The group also agreed to put a detailed joint paper together which would prove that the clinical, financial and logistical case being advanced by the PCT was wrong.

As previously reported by The Herald, the PCT, which runs the hospital, is planning to close it and "relocate" its rehabilitation beds and services to Haslemere, Farnham, Royal Surrey and Cranleigh hospitals.

It forms part of a plan to use resources and money efficiently. However, there has been a huge outcry throughout Waverley.

Among the facilities which it is proposed to move are 50 rehabilitation beds and 10 orthopaedic beds.

In the past, campaigners have been unanimous in their view that the hospital should remain but have been divided over its future role.

However, the new joint community group should bring to an end public disagreements and it hopes that it will force the PCT into a rethink.

"This is a powerful coalition which I am proud to have played a part in bringing together," said Simon Cordon. "The case against closure is significantly strengthened by our unity."

Jeremy Hunt echoed this view and said that the unique decision to launch a single campaign shows the strength of public feeling over the proposals put forward by the PCT.

"A meeting of this sort is without precedent and demonstrates the resolve of our community to retain this wonderful hospital."

The decision to form a single campaign follows hot on the heels of two Surrey County Council meetings where serious questions about the PCT's proposals were raised.

At a recent meeting of the county council's local committee for Waverley, which represents the views of the borough's county councillors, questions were raised over the plans to "relocate" 22 of the rehabilitation beds to Farnham Hospital.

Councillors, who agreed to oppose the plans, were sceptical of the PCT's claims that the success in reducing bed blocking in Farnham means that the hospital has the capacity to use 22 of its existing beds for rehabilitation patients.

"An efficient hospital can't run on 100 per cent bed capacity, it needs to 90 per cent or 80 per cent," said Farnham North councillor Janet Maines.

"I just don't see how space can be made in Farnham for the patients who are currently in Milford. The figures just don't add up to me. It is just a purely financial decision."

Haslemere's county councillor Christine Stevens was equally concerned about the proposals and said that with the increasingly ageing population she was unconvinced that the PCT would be able to meet the demand for rehabilitation health care in future years.

She said that trust should be putting "people not buildings first".

"What is clear is that what we are seeing is the fragmentation of what is a highly regarded centre of excellence," she said. "This decision need to go to the highest level."

Last Friday, the council's health scrutiny committee also debated the plans after health chiefs outlined their proposals.

The role of the committee is to consider whether the PCT is consulting adequately on its proposed changes, and whether they will benefit Surrey people.

Councillors heard from the PCT but delayed making a decision and have asked the trust for a more detailed financial report which backs up its case and other documentation explaining how the proposed arrangements will work.

The scrutiny committee also decided to invite more witnesses to give evidence at its next meeting on November 25; conduct visits and interviews with voluntary organisations, front-line NHS staff and other professionals involved in caring for older people; and seek representation from the Strategic Health Authority for Surrey and Sussex .

"It is too early for the committee to take a view on what is being proposed," said chairman Diana Bowes.

"Having heard the thinking behind the Milford Hospital changes, we need to explore certain other aspects in greater detail with the PCT and understand more about how the new arrangements will work.

"We are grateful for all the written submissions we have received from people.

"They have helped our understanding of the issues, and left us in no doubt as to the strength of feeling of local people.

"As a committee, we are keeping an open mind on the subject until we have heard all the evidence. This is just the start of our scrutiny process, and we are now finalising how we will carry our investigations forward."