CLEVEDON people will have the chance to have their say on the future of healthcare in the town from next month.

North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will hold a five-month consultation to give residents the opportunity to help shape the services which will be made available at the existing cottage hospital in Old Street in future.

This follows the cancellation of a project to build a new hospital at Millcross last year.

The CCG took over the commissioning of healthcare services in the area at the beginning of this month from NHS North Somerset, a primary care trust (PCT), which no longer exists.

At a meeting of the CCG’s governing body on April 16, a paper was presented proposing how work to develop a clear plan for future services at Clevedon Community Hospital will go forward.

As part of this, the CCG will work with North Somerset Partnership which operates services at the hospital and the newly-formed NHS Property Services which now manages and maintains the facility.

It will also work with the local population, stakeholders, individuals, patients groups and community representatives to shape future plans.

Leader of the CCG, Dr Mary Backhouse, said: “We are committed to providing health services which meet the needs of the people of North Somerset and the Clevedon Community Hospital site is, and will remain, an essential part of those services.

“We all recognise the disappointment locally following the PCT’s decision to cancel the development of the new hospital but we encourage all local people who wish to become involved to join with us to develop sustainable plans that put the current hospital at the centre of high quality community services for the people of North Somerset.”

The consultation will run from May until October before a report is presented to the CCG later in October.

The CCG says that, throughout the process, all current services at the hospital will continue and no changes will be made without consultation.