THE closure of the inpatient ward at Bromyard Community Hospital could be halted if talks are successful.

Last week Wye Valley NHS Trust announced the ward at the hospital in Linton Lane would be forced to temporarily close to patients next month due to a staff shortage.

But now the organisation is in talks with staff in a last-ditch attempt to put a stop to the move.

Trust chief executive Richard Beeken said: “We are committed to further discussions with the inpatient ward staff members at the hospital to explore additional actions, where possible, to prevent the temporary closure due to take effect no later than Friday, September 11.”

But he said if the trust was forced to go ahead with the closure it was confident it would be able to reopen before Christmas.

“We will ensure that permanent staff currently employed on the ward, due to be redeployed to other sites during this period, will retain their post at Bromyard Community Hospital and will therefore return to the hospital once the inpatient ward re-opens,” he said.

The trust has said the closure is not expected to have a dramatic impact on people in the area as the 14-bed unit is used mostly for patients recovering following treatment at Hereford County Hospital.

Among services offered by the hospital are ophthalmology diagnostic physiological measurement.

A petition against the closure has so far gathered more than 500 signatures.