CONCERNS were raised with health chiefs that Winchester’s hospital would become a ‘cottage hospital without A&E’.

The fears were raised as bosses talked about merging Winchester’s NHS trust with its counterpart in Basingstoke.

The move was recently revealed in the Chronicle, but triggered alarm bells with some residents who came to the trust’s latest meeting.

It was held at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital on Wednesday (January 26) and concerns were raised by Maurice Charrett of Winchester City Residents Association.

He said: “We are worried that this will become a cottage hospital with no accident and emergency department.”

He added that if some services moved away from Winchester then it would be worse for patients, especially those without cars.

“The hospital in Basingstoke is nowhere near the town centre and to have to get to Basingstoke hospital would make life intolerable for some,” he said.

Winchester health bosses were quick to point out that the merger was at an early stage and no decisions to transfer services had been made.

Acting trust chief executive, Dr Chris Gordon, said: “Any service changes that may occur have not been discussed yet.

“I can’t tell you that it’s not going to happen, but I also can’t tell you that it is.”

He added that if proposals to move services came forward then there would be a full public consultation.

“There’s no covert process going on at this stage I can assure you.”

Dr Gordon also said he would send updates to Winchester MP, Steve Brine, who Mr Charrett has also spoken to about the issue.

After the meeting, Mr Brine said: “There is one way we can be absolutely sure Winchester Hospital is either downgraded, or worse still closed altogether, and that is to do nothing.”

He added: “The trust has kept me fully updated and I have consistently said to them I am only interested in protecting the key services we rely on locally.

“That means full service A&E and maternity in Winchester and all that sits behind them to maintain a district general hospital worthy of the name.

“There will be change but I think we have to be positive and make this work for Winchester because doing nothing is simply not an option.”

Wednesday’s board meeting was the first since the proposed merger between Winchester and Basingstoke became public.

Bosses believe that it should lead to lower costs by reducing non-frontline jobs through natural wastage.

Financial problems are a major reason why Winchester health chiefs are considering the merger.

While they look set to break even this year, they still have £2m of long-term debts, which could stop them securing foundation status.

Basingstoke already has it, and a merger would give Winchester the prized status too, which the Government wants all trusts to achieve.

The ‘super trust’ would care for 500,000 people in north and central Hampshire and have 5,000 doctors, nurses and healthcare staff.

Its annual budget is likely to be around £300m and the merger is due to happen by April 2012.