Gosport MP Peter Viggers is spearheading fresh efforts to get a campaign to overturn a decision to close Haslar taken to the top.

About 600 residents have unanimously agreed a motion put to them by Mr Viggers that the Haslar debate should be referred to the government's independent reconfiguration panel (IRP) by the Secretary of State.

He said: "Hampshire County Council as the local authority has a duty to scrutinise the decision made about Haslar by the primary care trust and we are demanding that they refer this to the Secretary of State to get advice from the IRP."

He added: "When I put forward this motion at a recent Haslar Taskforce meeting, every single person agreed it. It was quite remarkable."

Now Mr Viggers is pinning hopes on the panel throwing the doomed hospital a lifeline after Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust decided to scrap it in favour of new facilities at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and local services at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

According to Mr Viggers, the independent panel has already saved three community hospitals in Kent from being axed after proposals were submitted to build one new hospital using the private finance initiative.

Mr Viggers said this and the Haslar scenario were very similar and he harbours strong hopes that they will see the sense in saving the Gosport hospital.

"In that case they scrapped the PFI and increased the use of the local hospitals allocating duties between them. Their view was that we should not be scrapping community hospitals but keeping them and making more use of them. I'm hoping they will look on Haslar in the same light."

The Hampshire County Council Health Scrutiny Committee will consider the motion put forward when they meet tomorrow.

Council raps health chief over Haslar

THE chief executive of the health trust given a vote of no confidence by civic chiefs in Gosport has hit back.

Members of Gosport Council became the first local authority in the country to take the step against Ian Piper, boss of Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust (PCT) over plans to close the Royal Hospital Haslar.

The council says it was forced to act after Mr Piper ignored hundreds of thousands of supporters who begged him to retain part of the historic hospital.

The issue comes before members of Hampshire's health review committee tomorrow.

But Mr Piper has stressed the need for health and civic bosses to work together.

He said: "We feel that ample time was allowed for discussion and debate at over 20 well attended public meetings. The board took into consideration the views of members of the public and a number of organisations during the consultation period and received deputations from the Save Haslar Task Force and Gosport Borough Council.

"We acknowledge the difference of opinion on this issue, but are committed to working with the council for the best possible health services for local people.

"It is vital for the people of Gosport that the relationship between the council and the PCT remains strong as we have so many issues in common to address."