CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep community hospital services in a south Durham community have made a last-ditch appeal to their MP.

With the future of Homelands Hospital, in Helmington Row, between Crook and Willington, to be decided later this week, a residents' delegation held an hour-long meeting with Hilary Armstrong on Saturday morning.

Services at Homelands have been reduced to the point that only five elderly patients are left in the last remaining ward.

A unit for elderly mentally ill people closed earlier this year when the specialist Auckland Park Hospital opened at Bishop Auckland.

The future of Homelands is on the agenda when the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) meets on Thursday in St Catherine's Church, Crook.

But the Department of Health announced as long ago as April that the site will be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for housing, with money from sales to private developers and housing associations going to the health service.

Former Crook councillor David English said yesterday: "We submitted a 3,000 name petition from people who don't want to lose their community hospital.

"Why can't a deal be done with a developer to help pay for a new building. Stanhope and Barnard Castle both have new hospitals. Why should the people of Crook and Willington be different?

"There is a need for the service. We have been told of elderly people who have been kept in hospital for weeks because there is nowhere for them to go.

"Their relatives are elderly as well and often don't have their own transport. They need to be close by."

Ms Armstrong said she would put the residents' views to the PCT but added: "It is very important that there is investment in a better domicillary service because people want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. We know that people live longer in their own homes.

"Whatever happens, we must not lose the dedication and commitment of the Homelands staff. They are second to none."