A CONSULTATION into the future of an intermediate care unit at a community hospital will go ahead after it was suspended last month.

The public consultation into the 14 intermediate care beds at Chipping Norton War Memorial Hospital was delayed last month following the intervention of Prime Minister David Cameron.

The future of the unit was thrown into jeopardy when the county council said they could either let the Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) take over the unit or lose it completely.

The beds are being run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and health leaders met with the PM last month to discuss its future because residents want it to be run by the NHS.

However, the county council announced today that the consultation will go ahead because there is only enough cash to run the unit until March.

The consultation will ask residents whether they want the unit to be by the OSJCT in Henry Cornish Care Centre, or to find another provider.

The county's director of adult social services John Jackson said the decision to launch a consultation was reached in order to get the best value for money for the tax payer.

He added: "Analysis shows that the current arrangements are only affordable until the end of March 2016 at the latest.

"The current arrangements do not represent good value for money when compared to other intermediate care in the county.

"On this basis we believe that there is no alternative but to move to a public consultation setting out possible options that would be affordable and represent good use of limited resources."

If approved by the cabinet in September the 10-week consultation could launch Monday, September 28, with a final decision expected in January.

The two options will be to allow the OSJCT to run the unit or find an alternative way of providing care, which could involve buying beds in another care home or relying on home-based care.