THE FULL extent of support for Milford on Sea War Memorial Hospital has been laid bare in a public consultation on its future.

More than 700 people filled in a questionnaire with more than 50 per cent of respondents saying they had used facilities at the hospital in the past month, with a further 10.5 per cent saying they'd used them in the last six months.

Many respondents pointed out that the facility could be used to relieve NHS bed-blocking by older people. "With Milford having a sizeable 'senior' population it makes little sense to move the facilities, especially as 'parking' at Lymington New Forest Hospital is difficult and buses are infrequent," said one.

Others claimed the journey to Lymington's new medical facility was too far. "Five miles may as well be 5,000 to many Milford residents," said one.

Local people said they wanted to see a variety of community services including leg ulcer clinics, blood tests, tailored exercise groups, a pharmacy, and care home beds for short-term care at the facility, which was opened in 1930 and remains a war memorial to the 267 local men who served in the First World War.

Over the years, the hospital has provided inpatient beds, an operating theatre, a range of outpatient services and physiotherapy. However, the condition of the building has declined in recent years and the facilities, it is claimed, are no longer fit for purpose.

After the operating theatre closed in 2000 the empty space was converted into a three and a two bed ward until these beds were closed in 2007, with outpatient services re-located to Lymington New Forest Hospital.

Now West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group says it will continue talking to local people about the hospital's future, issuing the message: "We are listening."

Professor Johnny Lyon-Maris, local GP and Clinical Director at the CCG, said: “We would like to thank everyone who came to see us and gave us their views through the survey.”