"Stop dithering - we want our hospital now"

That was the unanimous call from a public meeting held at Littlehampton Community School on Tuesday night to discuss the controversial "Fit for the Future" proposals to reorganise the NHS in West Sussex.

The consultation papers for the proposals don't even mention the postponed Arun Community Hospital, but residents, councillors and the town's MP made it crystal clear to West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) that they see the #10m project as a top priority.

And when the PCT's director of primary and community care, Carol Gareze said no hospitals would close as a result of the changes, there were loud protests from the floor that in Littlehampton, that had already happened

MP Nick Gibb told Mrs Gareze that, just down the road, there was a blue fence sround a pile of rubble that used to be Littlehampton Hospital. "We were promised that hospital would be rebuilt. A long consultation took place and a business plan was drawn up."

Mr Gibb called on the PCT to use money from the #9m it was reportedly anticipating this year, rising to #52m in 2012/13, to build the new Arun Community Hospital and to retain Worthing Hospital and St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, as "fully-fledged" facilities.

Mrs Garese said the PCT was "absolutely committed" to building a local health facility for Littlehampton, although she stopped short of using the word "hospital". She added that the PCT was setting up a project group to take the scheme forward. "The detail of what it will contain will be worked up by them.

"It will happen. It's time for us to take it forward."

Liberal Democrat county councillor and retired GP, Dr James Walsh said the community had been given several cast-iron guarantees that the old Littlehampton Hospital would not be demolished unless it was to be replaced.

Referring to Mrs Garese's commitment to "a local health facility", he said: "What the people of Littlehampton want is a replacement hospital, with inpatient beds, a diagnostic centre, outpatient facilities and a minor injuries unit.

"If you don't rebuild Littlehampton Hospital, you will have reneged on that promise made tonight. We want Littlehampton Hospital!"

Littlehampton Labour party veteran Stan Nattrass summed up the mood of many at the meeting: "We are determined that we are going to get this hospital, and we won't stop fighting until we get it."

* See this week's Littlehampton Gazette for the full story.