THE final and bitter fight to save Frenchay Hospital from being downsized has been lost.

At a crunch meeting on Monday, chairmen of the six local NHS and Primary Care Trusts voted to downgrade the red bricks of Frenchay into a community health centre and plough millions of pounds into bringing Southmead Hospital up to scratch.

Despite hundreds of Frenchay supporters turning up to the meeting in Bristol, the decision-making panel was not be swayed.

Only the chairman of South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, Brian Goodson, voted against the plans - part of a £500 million project to improve health services in the former Avon area.

Mr Goodson said after the meeting: "My PCT board was not convinced by the evidence recommending Southmead as the acute site and took into account the strength of public feeling throughout the community in preferring Frenchay."

Mr Goodson's comments mirrored those of civic leaders and politicians throughout Yate, Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury who have condemned Monday's decision.

Northavon MP Steve Webb told the Gazette that he would continue to fight the decision and that the battle was by no means over. He said: "Although Monday was a huge set back it is not the end of the story.

"I have a meeting next week with the Strategic Health Authority and we will take this to the Secretary of State if we need to. "

The Conservative's prospective Parliamentary candidate for Northavon Chris Butt, said this decision was an absolute disaster for South Gloucestershire and flies in the face of common sense.

"I cannot understand how the NHS can downgrade and make massive cuts at Frenchay when it is the hospital which serves the part of Bristol expected to see the majority of growth, and most significantly a 50 percent increase in the number of pensioners," he said.

He agreed with thousands of South Gloucestershire residents who have argued Frenchay is far more accessible - as it is next to the ring road and the M32 - than Southmead.

He added that he would be raising a petition to fight this decision. "We are disgusted the people of Yate and the area will not have an excellent emergency unit," he said.

Nicholas Godden, chairman of North Bristol NHS Trust, said: "We realise the affection that people have for Frenchay Hospital but this will dramatically reduce long journeys to hospital and the whole community will really benefit."

A move to defer the decision was lost as the panel agreed enough time had been given for the public to comment on the ten-year plan. Frenchay supporters were, however, outraged on discovering that they were not allowed to comment at Monday's meeting - only in workshops before it - despite an advertisement to the contrary in newspapers and on local radio.

John Nichols, chairman of the Friends of Frenchay Hospital, told the Gazette this week: "We are not happy. In the past two years we have bought £2 million worth of equipment specifically for Frenchay and that will now be moved to Southmead.

"We were told last week that only 48 beds will remain at Frenchay - that is just two wards."

Mr Nichols said the friends had pledged to carry on fundraising and fighting to keep Frenchay Hospital.