PATIENTS will be switched to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winch-ester if staffing levels plummet at a Bishopstoke hospital.

The much-loved Mount Hospital faces the axe following an Eastleigh and Test Valley Primary Care Trust board meeting last week. Emergency plans to support the facility if staffing levels deteriorate are in place.

The transfer to be in operation by July, would only be temporary.

The number of trained nurses working at the Mount has fluctuated over the last 15 months.

Last year 12 beds were closed due to inadequate nursing staff bringing the number of beds down to 26 - the absolute minimum for the provision of safe care on the wards. The problem resurfaced again in April.

Bosses of Winchester and Eastleigh NHS Healthcare Trust attributed the deterioration in staff to the uncertainty of the hospital's future.

But trust chiefs have now confirmed that the old hospital buildings will be scrapped when the new system of healthcare has been implemented - hopefully by summer next year.

Divisional general manager for medicine and elderly care, Pat Petrie is confident that they will attract high calibre candidates to fill the roles needed at the Mount.

But stressed that the contingency plan to transfer patients to Winchester must be in place if levels dropped again.