PUBLIC anger over the proposed closure of wards at a Wirral hospital is reaching boiling point.

Hundreds of protesters are expected to crowd into Wallasey town hall tonight (Wednesday) to make mem-bers of Wirral council cabinet aware of the depth of opposition to plans by Wallasey Primary Care Trust to shut two wards at Victoria Central Hospital.

More than 10,000 people have already signed a petition against the move and many more names are expected to the added.

Campaigners fighting the closures have branded the consultation process a 'complete sham'.

A row erupted as more than 200 protestors lobbied Wirral council's social care and health select committee at Wallasey town hall last week. The meeting's two controversial agenda items were a proposal by Birken-head and Wallasey Primary Care Trust to close two wards for elderly people at Victoria Central Hospital and a second proposal for the council to purchase 63 care home beds.

Transport & General Workers Union Wallasey branch secretary David Laird said: "The Liberal Democrats on the committee supported social services in the purchase of these beds and at the same time told the protesters that they could have a 12-week consultation period about the future of the wards.

"Anyone with any common sense would know that the consultation was a complete sham because if, after the 12 week consultation period, they decided to keep the wards are the Lib Dems going to say, 'we've made a mistake, we shouldn't have purchased the beds?'"

After a vote was taken councillors recommended that the beds be purchased.

A decision about the wards will be taken after the 12-week consultation period.

Liberal Democrat councillors voted in favour of the beds' purchase while members of the Conservative group abstained from the vote.

The decision split opinion within the Labour group with three councillors voting against the purchase of beds and one for it.

Labour Cllr Chris Jones, who opposed the purchase, said: "The problem we were faced with was that there were two items on the agenda that just didn't hang together. One item asked us to agree to a period of three months of consultation but a later one asked us to make a decision right away to buy in 60 beds from the private sector.

"On that basis whatever the outcome of the consultation we would still be forced to go with privatisation as the contract would be up and running.

"How on earth can we scrutinise a foregone conclusion?"

Liberal Democrat Cllr Pat Williams, who supported the purchase, said: "I am not prejudging the consultation, we have a shortage in Wirral and we really do need the beds.

"There are people in hospital that have been assessed and are ready to leave - I want them to have the care that best suits them.

"The nursing home where we want to purchase beds gives each person a room of their own and each has en-suite facilities.

"I believe it provides more dignity and privacy and that is not criticising in any way the care provided by the hospital.

"There are people in hospital wards now that have been assessed as medically fit and in need of these beds. It is not necessary that they be in hospital words."

The recommendation will go before a meeting of the executive cabinet tonight .

Dave Laird added: "We have more support than ever.

"When the proposals are back before them we would ask all councillors not to put the cart before the horse and to block purchase of these beds. The petition of more than 8,000 names that we presented to the first meeting has now grown to almost 10,000."