CIVIC leaders in Watchet have thrown their support behind a campaign to save vital facilities at Williton Community Hospital.

Health chiefs sparked an outcry late last year when they announced the closure of one of the hospital's two wards, cutting the number of beds from 45 to just 20.

At a meeting called by Williton Parish Council just over a week ago, representatives of NHS Somerset and the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust insisted the move would free up space and staff to provide a range of additional services, such as blood transfusions, intravenous drug treatments and other day care facilities.

But Watchet Town Council voted unanimously this week to support Williton councillors in their pledge to monitor the situation.

At its monthly meeting on Monday the Watchet authority agreed to write to health chiefs to reiterate the importance of the hospital to the local community and wider West Somerset area.

Councillors - many of whom had previously voiced their concerns at the Williton meeting - also backed a move to work closely with Williton Parish Council and enlist the support of other parish and town councils across the district.

They said they wanted to ensure that local people were not sent to other community hospitals, such as South Petherton at the other end of the county, because of any shortage of beds at Williton.

Chairman Cllr Sally de Renzy-Martin said Watchet town councillors wanted to back up the wish to retain the hospital facilities, not only for patients but also from an employment point of view.

"Although it has been said that none of the staff will lose their jobs, some of them could face being redeployed within a 25-mile radius," she said.

Cllr Anne Cleveland said she had been shocked to learn at the Williton meeting that nine commissioning health organisations were involved in the hospital.

"Williton Parish Council has promised to monitor the situation and the health care people who came along said they would come back in six months.

"We need to make sure they do because we need to hold them accountable."

Cllr Hazel Bowden said her concern was that once something was closed, it would never be reopened.

Many councillors spoke of their personal experiences of the outstanding care given to their relatives at the hospital.

Cllr Peter Murphy described the care his father had received as superb: "And I also felt very supported," he said.

Cllr Murphy said he welcomed the promised increase in outpatient facilities but questioned the reduction in bed numbers: "The idea of anyone from this area having to go to South Petherton is totally absurd."

Cllr Dave Westcott said councillors in Williton should be given every support to monitor the situation: "If we see any more cutbacks or there is no increase in services then we need to act.

"It is vital that we work together with Williton on this."

But Cllr Lin Hart said even with the proposed increase in day care facilities at the hospital, she was concerned that the needs of an increasing elderly population would not be met, with a predicted huge increase over the next ten years in the number of people aged between 70 and 90 in Somerset.

And Cllr John Irven said councillors had to do everything they could to support the hospital.

"If closing beds means people having to go to South Petherton Hospital, that is unacceptable.

"We have to fight."