AS the NHS considers withdrawing certain services from Bordon’s Chase Hospital, a campaign for better health provision in Whitehill and Bordon is snowballing.

Concerns were raised after NHS providers recommended relocating many of the community hospital’s clinics to Alton.

But the local clinical commissioning group, which is responsible for buying in services, maintains there is a cohesive approach and said decisions on the Bordon hospital’s future would not be made “until definite decisions are taken over the proposed new health campus”.

But almost 200 people have already signed an online petition calling for emergency services in Whitehill and Bordon.

James Brand started the campaign because, he said, he found it “disgusting” that if his young family needed medical attention “we would need to travel up to an hour to the nearest A&E”.

“A minor-injuries unit is currently available for limited hours in Petersfield and these services are valuable to the community and should also be installed at the Chase Hospital in Bordon,” he said.

“While serious emergency and specialist care would obviously remain at Basingstoke and Guildford, the availability of midwifery and minor injuries is needed in a developing town of our size. The lack of medical services in the area is unacceptable.”

A health hub was promised in 2015, at a community forum, at which the then leader of East Hampshire District Council, Ferris Cowper, guaranteed there would be a minor-injuries unit in Whitehill and Bordon as part of the town’s regeneration.

The announcement came after the NHS closed the beds ward at Chase, leaving the hospital exclusively for outpatients. This was a controversial move which saw numerous protests and campaigning from town, district and county councillors who, with many hospital users, resisted the decision. Ultimately, as the beds were said to be under used, the NHS went ahead and moved them.

The new petition arrives as the Hampshire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust, which provides a number of services at the Chase - including ear, nose and throat (ENT), audiology, maxillofacial, paediatrics and X-ray - suggested its clinics should go elsewhere.

The trust said it was “keen to re-locate as many of the services as possible from the Chase Community Hospital to Alton Community Hospital”.

It also provides the community midwifery team which operates from the hospital and visits homes.

Although the decision is technically in the hands of the clinical commissioning group, which selects services to buy in, a trust spokesman said: “The number of patients using these services is small and is reducing.”

In the interest of efficiency, the NHS is unlikely to splash out for clinics that few people actually use. In documents considered by Hampshire County Council’s health and adult social care select committee in May, the NHS highlighted “the disproportionate costs” relative to “the activity delivered” at the Chase Hospital.

The ear, nose and throat service is already set to operate from Alton Community Hospital from June 21 and, even if others earmarked followed suit, the NHS pointed out that there will still be activity at the Chase. Other providers offer mental health services, physiotherapy, musculoskeletal service, and sexual health clinics.

Mr Brand has called on residents to put pressure on those in power to ensure Whitehill and Bordon gets the best health services it can, saying this was particularly necessary considering the new housing and population growth.

“The nearest A&E is either Guildford or Basingstoke, both an hour away by road and, given the increasing population, those existing A&Es will not be able to cope with the influx of people using the NHS services,” he added.

“Recently, my wife visited Chase Hospital for a routine midwife appointment at which, unfortunately, the baby’s heartbeat could not be heard. In a distressed state, my wife had to travel to Basingstoke hospital for an emergency ultrasound. Thankfully, the baby was fine; however, the panic, worries and stress could have been easily eliminated if Chase Hospital had an ultrasound machine and qualified professionals on site.”

He said the Chase Hospital was “an ideal location and clearly under utilised”.

“I truly believe that with the Whitehill and Bordon regeneration programme, this should have been one of the services improved and added to, as a necessity, to accommodate the increased demand,” Mr Brand added.

“Help us get the availability of emergency services in Whitehill and Bordon for the sake of our children and the residents in the area.”

He thanked people online who had supported the cause. “I’m overwhelmed with the response and comments,” he said. The plan, he explained, is to hand the petition to the council next week.

Over recent years, the NHS has been talking to people in the Whitehill and Bordon community about local healthcare services and what people want. This includes: care that is joined up with services working together; care that is provided closer to home where possible and for NHS services to work far more closely with partners, including social care and the voluntary sector.

Whitehill and Bordon is one of the NHS’ Healthy New Towns - a scheme which aims to establish the very best in healthcare. There are just 10 in total.

The petition can be found at thepetitionsite.com.