ALTON Community Hospital has closed its inpatient ward to address issues highlighted during routine safety and quality inspections by the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. In a hospital, considered by GPs as "an important local facility", Anstey ward provides 24 beds for those requiring palliative care, intermediate care for older people under the medical supervision of their GP, and post-operative care for patients from acute hospitals who require additional therapy or other support before returning home. Alton Community Hospital is managed by the Trust whose director of integrated services, Gethin Hughes, said: "Following an inspection of Anstey Ward in Alton, a number of concerns were identified which we wanted to address immediately to ensure the quality of service our patients receive is of the high standard we strive for." For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.