WINCHESTER'S Liberal Democrats have called for a new hospital to be built at Sir John Moore Barracks following its closure.

The group say building on the site off Andover Road, near Littleton, due to be vacated by the Army in 2021, would mean residents benefit from a large employer continuing to provide core medical services in the city.

The proposal is an alternative to plans for a critical treatment centre at North Waltham, near Basingstoke, which were given the green light back in 2015, although the multi-million pound project appears to be on hold.

The Lib Dems say that the barracks would enable the critical treatment centre and a cancer centre to be built in conjunction, with a new hospital also incorporating parts of Basingstoke hospitals and therefore bringing savings to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

If the new site were chosen, they add that the Royal Hampshire County Hospital on Romsey Road should close following the successful opening of the new hospital.

In a letter, the Lib Dems state: "The original plan for the critical treatment facilities at North Waltham looked sound on paper in its methodology on both medical and for running cost savings, however the location was not ideal in terms of the infrastructure, location, capital cost and accessibility.

"We realise the enormous cost of adding another hospital at North Waltham into the Trust's estate brings costs to the NHS which can be ill afforded and we believe this site could bring a positive income to the Trust."

Cllr Jackie Porter said: "We are looking at it because since the original site at North Waltham was prepared, the situation has changed and it's become available.

"It's a very generous site in terms of size, it's owned by the public and a number of items of infrastructure that are already in place.

"For a councillor in Winchester seeing the implications of residents having to go up to hospital in the countryside, it's an option to be considered.

"There are really good roads there already, there's a helipad site, it has many of the things that would cost money to be built.

"We'd like to hear the public view on it, it's certainly something that needs to be looked at. I know the hospital and Trust has ambitious plans across Hampshire but having seen the site, we are impressed."

There are fears that the new critical treatment centre at North Waltham would ultimately lead to the RHCH being largely a 'cottage hospital'.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said in a statement: "We have a long-standing commitment to serving the people of Winchester and its surrounding area.

"With this express purpose, we are working very closely with our commissioners to explore sustainable solutions that will enable us to provide acute services for the whole population we serve across Hampshire.

"A guiding principle of the local NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) is that the NHS should make best use of its existing resources.

"Until we reach a point in the process of having a preferred option, we are unable to pursue options around new developments."

If the current RHCH site on Romsey Road should close the site would be worth tens of millions of pounds to housing developers.

City council leader Caroline Horrill, a Conservative, was asked to comment but declined, saying she had not seen the letter from the Liberal Democrats.

The NHS is due to announce its STP for services in Hampshire this autumn.

What do you think? Write to letters@hampshirechronicle.co.uk.