STANDISH Hospital is to finally close. (From Stroud News and Journal)

STANDISH Hospital is to finally close.

The shock announcement came this week when Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust decided on a developer to build its new £30 million extension. Plans are now afoot to transfer facilities and staff from Standish to Gloucester by 2004.

Director of corporate development for Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust, Paul Richardson, confirmed its demise on Monday, saying: Yes, Standish is to close.

The future of the picturesque hospital has hung in the balance for more than ten years.

Fierce debate has always raged over the proposed closure, and a Save Our Standish (SOS) campaign launched immediately after the initial announcement in the early 1990s resulted in more than 40,000 signatures of protest.

Supporters were in disbelief at the announcement even though the closure had been on the cards for some time. On Tuesday, the irrepressible chairman of SOS, Michael Buckingham, who has tirelessly led the campaign to save the hospital refused to believe it was the end for Standish.

While the new development is very necessary and well thought-out, I do not believe Standish hospital can be abandoned, he said. It is far too valuable an asset. Mr Buckingham added: Just over a year ago at a trust board meeting, about 30 nurses from Standish protested that they would never go and work in Gloucester.

And former chairman of SOS, Gordon Hopwood echoed Mr Buckinghams sentiments.

This is bad news for Standish, its reputation for orthopaedic surgery is second to none, he said.

But he added: We saved it last time, lets hope we can save it again.