A DECISION to close half the beds for continuing care of the elderly in Lenzie Hospital was postponed for a month yesterday by Greater Glasgow Health Board.
The breathing space is to allow further negotiations with East Dunbartonshire Council over possible alternative uses for the 30 beds.
The proposals have resulted in a campaign to save the facilities by people who fear the closures will be the death knell of the hospital, and the board yesterday received a 20,000-signatures petition.
The original plan was to close the hospital outright, then the board responded to local pressure by earmarking 60 continuing care beds at Stobhill for closure instead.
Now Stobhill needs these to cope with discharges of old people who are ''blocking'' acute beds, director for commissioning Catriona Renfrew said yesterday.
Funding for the beds is to be transferred to social work departments, and the board has given an assurance that no patients in Lenzie Hospital will be moved out.
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