AN organisation which has raised thousands of pounds to help improve care for patients at Williton Hospital has condemned plans by health chiefs to close more than half its beds.

The Free Press exclusively revealed last week that one of the hospital's two wards, which has been closed since September, is to remain shut, reducing the total number of beds from 45 to 20.

But the League of Friends of Williton Hospital said this week it was deeply concerned about the planned closure of Brendon Ward and the subsequent loss of facilities for the local community.

And it has vowed to fight to get the decision overturned.

League members met on Monday to discuss the situation and, in a statement issued afterwards, said: "We are pursuing all possible avenues to try to get this decision reversed and to this end have requested a meeting with the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to discuss with them the proposals contained in their review."

The trust, which runs the hospital, has maintained that the closure of the ward will free up £800,000 to spend on other health services locally and that the reduction in beds is not a cut but an attempt to match bed capacity with demand.

It insists it will not lead to redundancies but staff - who have described the ward closure as a tragedy and an outrage - fear it will lead to job losses and reduced services for local people.

The league, which has now thrown its weight against the move, was set up in 1970 when the hospital was based in the village's former workhouse.

A new purpose-built hospital was opened on the current North Road site in 1990 but for more than four decades the league has been funding equipment and making grants to improve facilities through legacies, donations and fundraising.

It also organises and provides volunteers to help with tasks such as bed-making.