Royston residents are being encouraged to have their say on changes to elderly care at a special meeting in the town.

Consultation is currently taking place on changes that could see one private sector firm taking over NHS contracts for all services provided to the elderly, meaning patients’ treatment would all be co-ordinated by a single person, rather than several different organisations as it is under the current system.

Oliver Heald, MP for North East Herts, told the Crow he would like to see more services provided in the town.

He said: “I believe that many local people would like to see more of the hospital services currently provided at Addenbrooke’s and the Lister Hospital, such as diagnostics and outpatients clinics, provided in the town at health premises here. Clearly this would also help with the decisions currently being made about the new buildings at Royston Hospital.

“I intend to attend the meeting and say that I would like to see as many services as possible provided locally in Royston in buildings in our town. I hope other residents might wish to attend and make the same point, or other points of importance to them.”

The future of Royston Hospital remains unclear, with work continuing on a ‘masterplan’ for the London Road site. It had been threatened with closure under NHS plans to turn it into a privately-run care-home, but this scheme appears to have been shelved after campaigning from people in the town.

The consultation meeting is being held by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, which oversees health care services in Royston and South Cambridgeshire

A spokesman for the group said: “The meeting consists of a presentation followed by an opportunity for those attending to ask questions.”

The meeting is being held at the Methodist Church Hall in Queens Road on Friday, May 16 from 1pm-2.30pm.

For more information on the proposed changes, log on to www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk and click on the consultations page.