CONCERNED Lytham residents are angry about the possible relocation of Lytham Hospital's Sinclair Ward to a hospital outside the town.

The 17-bedded ward at the hospital on Warton Street provides care and rehabilitation to elderly orthopaedic patients from across the Fylde Coast and is much cherished by patients and their relatives.

Now the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust is considering re-locating the ward to South Shore Hospital in Blackpool.

But patients, ex-patients and relatives are angry that the ward could go from the town.

One concerned ex-patient said that Sinclair Ward was a vital part of Lytham Hospital. "The elderly people convalesce there after coming from Victoria. They are beautifully nursed back to health on the ward and a lot of them are given back the will to go on and given back their confidence there.

"I'm over 70 now and I've been in there myself. It's wonderful. People are very worried about its future. Which will be the next ward to go and how long before the hospital will go as did St Annes Hospital? It's so important to keep that little hospital open," she said.

A staff member on Sinclair Ward who did not want to be named said: "Obviously we are upset about it." Staff did not want to comment further but confirmed that they had not been given any more details about the future of the ward.

But a spokesman for the NHS Trust said that transferring the ortho-geriatric services to South Shore would benefit patients as the hospital, on Stony Hill Avenue, was the primary site for orthopaedic surgery in the area and orthopaedic medical and nursing staff and X-ray services were already based at the South Shore site.

He added that access for visitors would be improved because of the hospital's more central location.

Michael McEwan, clinical manager for elderly rehabilitation services, said that he was not aware of any plans to close Lytham Hospital and that the move would allow the Trust to expand the out-patient services there.

"When there are proposals to move different services you do get people with different loyalties and it's important that we keep people aware."