DOCTORS have painted a grim picture of patients travelling for miles for treatment and stroke victims having to cope with their disabilities in their own homes, if wards close at Evesham Community Hospital.

GPs in the Vale and Broadway say they are totally united in their fight to stop the closures.

They slammed South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust after a board meeting on Tuesday for ignoring their plans in the past to stream-line the hospital and make it more viable. Now the GPs are preparing to update and resubmit their proposals.

Dr Neil Townshend, from the Barn Close Surgery in Broadway, said: "Our proposals are to develop Evesham Community Hospital to provide high quality and ultimately cheaper services to patients locally, matching their needs, as per the government policy leading up to the election."

The doctor, who is also chairman of the Evesham and Broadway GP Association and hospital management committee, added: "Friends put forward development plans in the 1990's and a joint committee followed it up and produced an Evesham 2000 report. They were development plans for the evolution of the hospital into a multi-funded facility appropriate for the 21st century but this work was sequentially ignored."

The proposed cuts by the chief executive Mike Ridley to help save £4m includes the closure of Bredon Ward and the Willows stroke unit and the shutting down of all orthopaedic out-patients work.

This would mean transferring orthopaedic services to a private treatment centre at Kidderminster Hospital and stroke patients having to rely on home visits. Also Izod Ward, Mr Ridley suggested, should lose its GP input.

Dr Townshend said: "We strongly object to patients being forced to travel long distances to be treated by a Canadian company at a private unit when there are high quality local services available here.

"We also deplore throwing stroke patients out into the community to be cared for by their families when they are clearly in hospital for good reason and are appalled that the PCT is suggesting that patients admitted to Izod Ward should no longer be attended by their own GPs."

The doctors' main suggestions of cutting costs, while keeping services, is to embark on a private/public partnership with a developer who would produce more efficient buildings able to deliver better and more efficient services.

Dr Townshend said: "This would ultimately save money for the taxpayer." He said the PCT's suggestions were based on short-term political gain without any consideration for long-term financial costs or quality care in the community."