The NHS cannot threaten the future of Deal Hospital if it withdraws most of its services, the people of Deal have been promised.

The pledge comes after the Mercury revealed last week that 16 services will be taken away from the Victoria Hospital in London Road, leaving just four.

Instead, new providers will be paid to deliver the services that are withdrawn by the NHS, said Darren Cocker, the chairman of the doctor-led South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

But the newly formed group that holds the chequebook on Deal’s health care will only give us services if we tell them we want them.

“The CCG continues to work closely with its GP members and will be engaging with the public in the New Year to look at health services in Deal over the next five years,” said Mr Cocker.

The engagement starts with a public meeting (hopefully at Deal Town Hall) on Tuesday, January 28.

“We have a loose timetable,” he said. “We hope to come back to the public in April with an idea of what Deal wants.

Specialist

“From there we will ask again if it is what is best for Deal.”

He hopes the CCG will be told the views of individuals and specialist groups that will speak up for the whole demographic, including the often under-represented like the disabled and mentally ill.

He also promised we won’t pay through the nose for the services. “Most are standard NHS tariff prices.”

Meanwhile MP for Deal and Dover Charlie Elphicke is furious the NHS health trust has not included Deal in an East Kent health consultation that started on Monday.

He said: “They are saying they don’t need to consult on Deal which is an outrageous.”

He claimed the trust is “desperately out of touch” in its “wholly unreasonable” approach to looking after Deal.

The survey focuses on the new Buckland Hospital in Dover, and others in Ashford, Canterbury, Margate and Folkestone.

The trust said a 2006 consultation gave them the answers to what is needed for Deal, resulting in the £23m investment into a new Dover Hospital where Deal’s services will be switched to.