PLANS to close Pershore Cottage Hospital and open 25 beds on the ground floor of a new residential development have been abandoned by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

It is now considering building a new hospital and health centre, funded by Wychavon District Council, on the town's civic centre site.

Trust members yesterday agreed to end their agreement with Heart of England Housing Association to use the ground floor of the new Heathlands development as a hospital.

The sale of the cottage hospital building and site would go some way to paying off the Trust's debts, which stand at almost £6m.

West Worcestershire's MP, Sir Michael Spicer, who had been critical of the proposals, welcomed the change of plan but urged the PCT to quickly end the uncertainty over the hospital's future.

"The important thing now is that they should get on with it and come up with proposals to refurbish or rebuild on the current site, or build new facilities on an alternative, appropriate site inside the Pershore area," he said.

"Having, in my view, mishandled the initial consultation period, the Trust needs to present clear proposals so we can put an end to the uncertainty for the hospital."

Dr Richard Whitmore, chairman of the Professional Executive Committee, said he was concerned about how long it would take to provide improved facilities in Pershore.

The 25-bed facility planned for the Heathlands would have been up and running by July.

"The timescale is now going to be years, when we were looking at something that was going to take weeks," he said.

Dr Whitmore urged the Trust's chief executive, Mike Ridley, and its chairman, David Barlow, to put a timescale on the latest proposals as soon as possible and make it public.

Mr Ridley said he was 100 per cent committed to working with Wychavon District Council on plans to build new health facilities at the civic centre site.