A SILENT candlelit protest has taken place over the plans to close the MacIlwain ward at the Chase Hospital.

But health chiefs are continuing to examine the future use of the ward, should it close, calculating it into plans to relieve the continuing problem of bed blocking.

On Saturday protesters against the cost-cutting proposals held a one-hour candlelit vigil outside the Chase in a bid to persuade the North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority and the North Hampshire Primary Care Trust to think again.

Campaigners included town mayor Neil Ockenden, deputy mayor Faith Thomas and other representatives of Whitehill Town Council.

However, on Tuesday the health authority examined plans to address the problem of delayed transfers of care - otherwise known as bed blocking.

The report, put together with the help of independent consultants, analyses possible ways of reducing bed blocking which will be considered as part of a three-year action plan to be developed later this month.

Among the measures are ways to recruit more staff, to increase care home capacity and to increase and promote alternative forms of community care for the elderly, as opposed to nursing and residential homes.

It is also hoped that a shake-up of the system will reduce ill health and inappropriate hospital admissions, reducing the number of people requiring a hospital bed.

The high cost of some nursing and residential care homes has proved to be a problem for social services, which has been unable to afford some placements.

However, as part of the plan, ways to increase the number of beds available cheaply to social services are being examined, with the ward at the Chase Community Hospital being among sites being considered.

The report stated: ÒThe options for the use of the hospital site should be incorporated within the overall three-year strategy as part of the management of capacity, working in partnership with the independent sector.

ÒThe use of this building should be considered as a priority for intermediate care capital investment bids and building capacity and partnership in care funds.Ó

The hope is that the health authority can make places like the Chase and other sites in Aldershot, Basingstoke and Andover available to Òstatutory agencies at a peppercorn rentÓ, increasing the number of care beds available to social services.

Recent government handouts have helped ease bed blocking problems, but health chiefs have been told that a further three-pronged attack - reducing need, increasing capacity and streamlining the process - is needed.

The North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority has submitted a funding bid to the government for £1.5 million over the next two years to help it boost intermediate care capacity.

If successful, it will help the health authority provide an additional 53 intermediate care places in North and Mid Hampshire and the development of intensive community services.

If the plans to close the ward at the Chase, which is currently home to 24 beds, are given the go-ahead despite public opposition, the ward space could figure in the health authorityÕs plans to increase capacity.

However, the final action plan to tackle bed blocking cannot be approved by the health authority until it knows over the next few weeks whether its funding bid has been successful and whether plans to axe the ward at the Chase are approved.

Despite this news, campaigners hoping to save the ward are urging Bordon residents to voice their opinions at a public meeting on the plans in the town next week.

The special meeting is taking place at 7 pm in St Marks Shared Church on Thursday, January 17, and will allow residents to quiz health chiefs who are putting the plans forward through the consultation document Improving Performance in North and Mid Hampshire.

Microphones and a special loop system will be used at the meeting to assist the hard of hearing.

Campaigners are hopeful that the public meeting will encourage residents to write to the health authority voicing their opinions before the consultation deadline of January 31.