CAMPAIGNERS have slammed a health trust for depriving them of vital information in their fight to save services at Northwich's Victoria Infirmary (VIN).

Central Cheshire Primary Care Trust has launched an investigation after it was five weeks late in delivering a consultation document on the proposed closure of VIN's inpatient ward.

The Trust promised to deliver the document to consultees by the end of June. More than a month later, it was finally expected to be delivered at a meeting between the Trust and representatives of Northwich Town Council and the Save Our Northwich Inpatient Campaign (SONIC) last night - when the 12-week consultation period actually began.

The investigation was instigated after SONIC lodged a formal complaint to the Trust. It says the documents, which raises issues the CCPCT is investigating, is vital to make sure issues relating to the inpatient facility are understood.

SONIC spokesman Liam Byrne said: 'This failure to deliver the paper was in contravention of an oral undertaking given by the CCPCT on May 23 when the papers were promised by the end of June.

'The delay will have a serious effect on the way people coming to the consultation understand the issues. The universal view is that it was yet another piece of devious behaviour by the authorities in their apparent mission to deprive Northwich of its precious in-patient ward.'

Fellow campaigner June Chapman added: 'The Trust knows why it wants to close the ward so why delay it? We should have had this weeks ago.'

Northwich town and county Cllr George Mainwaring said: 'You can only ask what the Trust's motive for delaying the release of the papers. There is a feeling that a decision to close the ward has already been reached.'

The Trust's patient and public influence manager Geoff Wood said: 'There is no reason for the delay and a full internal investigation has been launched following an official complaint by SONIC into the delay of the paper.

'It has gone into the official complaints procedure and we will be answering SONIC as to why we have not done it.'