MILFORD Hospital's future is secure for the foreseeable future and it will retain additional beds. West Surrey Health Authority announced the decision at a meeting on Monday.

The future of the hospital, which specialises in care and rehabilitation of the elderly, has been uncertain since proposals were made by the authority in October of last year to close it down.

Since then, extensive public consultations and discussions with the community health council and local councils showed that the services provided by the hospital were in demand.

Assistant director of strategic development at West Surrey Health Authority, Kay Mackay, said: "While our long-term strategic aim across West Surrey is to provide more intermediate care in patients' homes and in local care centres, we have recognised that the NHS needs the capacity provided by Milford to meet increasing pressures."

Mrs Mackay said the 20 additional beds, which had been installed last September, should be permanently retained and that new staff should be recruited to cope with the greater number of patients by Christmas.

It was also decided at the meeting of the health authority that work should continue with patients, consultants, GPs and stakeholders to develop rehabilitation and intermediate care services at the hospital over the next two years.

Local MP Virginia Bottomley welcomed the decisions and declared them a "victory for common sense".

"These are crucial decisions at a time when health care in South West Surrey is at breaking point. Waiting times for West Surrey are the highest in the country, bed-blocking has reached crisis proportions and public confidence in the service is at an all-time low, so these decisions can only be good news," said the MP.

As part of its strategic development programme, West Surrey Health Authority will continue to review and analyse the use of beds through the proposed Primary Care Trust for Guildford and Waverley.

Kay Mackay added: "We greatly appreciate the work of staff at Milford for their continued efforts during this period of uncertainty."