THE chief executive of the trust governing Andover War Memorial Hospital has given the site a ringing endorsement.

Mary Edwards, a former nurse now in charge of Hampshire Hospitals, said: “First of all I would like to thank the staff for all the amazing work they do here.

“I know this is a popular hospital where staff have a ‘can do’ attitude.

“In the future we will be trying to increase the services we offer here.

“At the moment the hospice is being refurbished and, as the area’s population grows, then we will get more funding through the Clinical C o m m i s s i o n i n g Groups.”

The Charlton Road hospital’s Minor Injuries Group already sees 17,000 people pass through its doors each year – attracting patients from as far away as Marlborough while the X-Ray department plays a vital role in keeping the pressure off the trust’s two larger hospitals in Winchester and Basingstoke.