The campaign group fighting to secure the future of Royston Hospital has penned an open letter to the MPs in our area urging them to help move the saga along to a successful conclusion.

Maggie Allen is a director of community interest company Royston Community Health and has been working tirelessly to ensure that hospital site in London Road is turned into a hub for health and social care in the town since its closure was announced in 2012.

Maggie has addressed the letter to North East Hertfordshire MP Sir Oliver Heald and Anthony Browne - MP for South Cambridgeshire - and sent it ready for when MPs' Christmas recess ended this week.

The letter states: "Royston Community Health has tried, for the last eight years, to work constructively with the NHS and local councils to achieve an integrated Health and Social Care Hub on the six-acre Royston Hospital site.

"Excellent plans were developed - at NHS expense, almost four years ago - for a relatively low-cost project which would, if implemented, have a significant beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing of the local communities in North Herts and South Cambs."

RCH's vision for the site would see the hospital become an environmentally-friendly hub which would include up to two GP group practices - where community nurses and social workers could locate - a care home, a range of clinics already run at the site such as physiotherapy and diabetic eye screening, space for other clinics such as those for ECGs, phelebotomy and falls, space for commuity activities and community transport.

The letter contiues: "The plans are in line with current NHS England policies and would bring care closer to home, support the transfer of services from secondary care into the community and reduce long term health expenditure.

"A modern health and social care hub on the Royston Hospital site would provide accessible, extra, clinical facilities required for the newly formed Meridian GP Network which covers GP practices from Bourn to Royston and Melbourn.

"Now the election is over, commitments made prior to election day need to be honoured. The directors of Royston Community Health CIC call on our local MPs to help move this long-delayed project to a successful conclusion."

For more on Royston Community Health see www.roystoncommunityhealth.org.uk.