THE future of the Chase Community Hospital looks brighter after the government awarded it £700,000 to become one of the first primary care and diagnostic treatment centres in the county.

But with ministers continuing to delay their decision over the funding of a new-look ward at the hospital, Bordon remains uncertain about its make-up in future years.

Health secretary Alan Milburn announced last week that eight hospitals in the country were awarded capital funding to help them become the first primary care and diagnostic treatment centres in the UK.

The £700,000 funding awarded to the Bordon hospital will enable the refurbishment of the Chase so that new diagnostic services can be developed.

Gill Duncan, chief executive of the Primary Care Trust which runs the hospital, said: ÒWe are absolutely delighted that our plans for this exciting new development have been approved. Now that funding for the alterations has been secured we can forge ahead with agreeing the services that will feature in the new centre.

ÒOverall, the aim is to give patients fast access to services in their local community so that they do not have to travel or wait for investigations and appointments at a district hospital.

ÒThere are several possibilities, including having pre-assessment clinics at the Chase, which would enable people to be assessed locally before being admitted to acute hospitals.Ó

Other new services that could be developed at the hospital could include a medical day-assessment unit. This would work alongside local community services to assess peopleÕs needs and provide the most appropriate package of nursing and care.

Ms Duncan continued: ÒThe easy option is to put people in hospital when they become unwell but this is not necessarily the best option. All too often this can be the start of a process that rapidly leads to older people losing their independence.

ÒWe want to make sure that people can continue to live fulfilling lives at home

ÒWe will also be considering the development of a minor-injury service and of new diagnostic services.Ó

These new services would work alongside the existing services provided at the Chase including outpatient clinics and chiropody.

The plans for the Chase will also be developed in tandem with the new £7.5 million primary care diagnostic and treatment centre approved for the North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke.

The PCT is hoping that local people will become involved with shaping of the Bordon hospitalÕs future.

PCT chairman Dr Tony Ludlow said: ÒWe are very keen to make sure that local people and organisations are involved in the development of services at the Chase.

ÒWe have established a steering group bringing together representatives from the local community in the Bordon area, the community health council, local GPs, social services, the district council, the primary care trust and the acute hospital.

ÒWe are planning to ask local people their priorities for developing care services at the hospital.Ó

But the exact details of what could be included within the new-look hospital will not be known until the fate of the threatened MacIlwain Ward is known.

The North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority has delayed its decision over whether to axe the hospitalÕs only ward under cost-cutting plans to help it out of the red.

This is because it is hoping that government will approve a capital bid to fund a new-look 24-bed ward which would house a mixture of nursing and intermediate-care beds.

Gill Duncan explained: ÒAs local people are aware, we have also submitted a separate bid that would mean that some inpatient beds could be retained at the Chase Hospital.

ÒThis bid was submitted following the strong local opposition to our original proposal to close the ward, a proposal that we had brought forward as part of wider plans to address the major financial pressures we face in north Hampshire.

ÒWe hope that there will be good news soon so that we can go back and consult with local people on new proposals.Ó

But with no decision being announced from the government, the fate of the ward could now be decided by HampshireÕs new strategic health authority which will take over from the NMHHA next month.

If the decision on any alternative plans for the ward were to be made by the NMHHA, the consultation process would have had to have started on Monday but, with the government stalling over its decision, the responsibility would now fall to the new strategic health authority.

But if the government rejects the funding bid then the NMHHA would decide the hospitalÕs fate at its last board meeting before it disbands, which is taking place on March 26.