IT'S OFFICIAL - the death knell has now been sounded on The Mount Hospital.

However, although the writing is on the wall for the old hospital buildings at Bishopstoke, residents have been given a glimmer of hope in the possibility of rebuilding new services on the site.

Trust bosses yesterday approved plans to remodel a new system of healthcare but they have no intention of retaining the existing care currently provided at The Mount.

But they were quick to add that this did not rule out using the land to develop new bed units under the new and improved community-based model.

Bishopstoke Age Concern secretary Annette Stratton said it was a compromise: "I think people will be sad that the old hospital must go but happier that there is a possibility of continuing to use the site."

She added: "Though the cynical side of me says that perhaps this is just a way of deferring complete closure of the entire site until a later date when people have given up, I hope this is not the case."

Trust bosses want to adopt a new healthcare package for residents of Eastleigh and the surrounding area by summer next year.

This will offer:

New inpatient rehabilitation beds within a three-mile radius of The Point in Eastleigh.

Local outpatient physiotherapy clinics.

A new rehabilitation centre.

Residents have made their concerns felt over the proposals at several consultation meetings since last November - but today the decision was out of their hands as the Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT approved the plans.

The PCT must now decide whether it will build a new NHS building - which could be located at the existing Bishopstoke site - or whether to contract out the buildings and/or service to an independent provider managed by the PCT.

This and the finer details of finance, staffing and location for the new healthcare system will be the focus at a further meeting to be held by the board in July.

Bishopstoke Parish Council chairman Councillor Anne Winstanley said that residents would be worried about the uncertainty of the change in services: "People don't know what will happen in the future but they know what they have now and that is the problem. I am glad that at least the possibility of providing some of the services on The Mount site is still in the framework."

An option to send patients to the Royal County Hampshire Hospital in Winchester, a huge fear of many residents, was dismissed outright by the board.

Trust chief executive John Richards said: "A clear decision has been made to put the new service model of healthcare into place in the future. This does not involve the present buildings at The Mount.

"It doesn't matter what option we decide on but from a business point of view I think contracting out to an independent provider would be best."

He added: "I think we've now got the chance to really improve services in the area and this is not the end of the public consultation. We will continually need public feedback."