The chief executive of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group has reassured patients Weston General Hospital will not be downgraded.

Julia Ross reassured concerned members of North Somerset Council's health and overview scrutiny panel on Tuesday that Weston 'would not become a cottage hospital'.

MORE: CCG has 'no intentions' to sell Weston General Hospital.

The Healthy Weston programme includes proposals such as the A&E department being staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of hospital and primary care clinicians.

MORE: A&E will not shut completely as GMC threat to remove junior doctors withdrawn.

The overnight closure of A&E will not stop medics admitting patients to wards.

At the governing body's previous meeting on October 1, Ms Ross also insisted the hospital would not be sold off after concerns were raised by campaigners.

She said: "We need to bring clarity to people locally, we have marched the people of Weston hospital up the hills so many times.

"A review in April 2021 is a genuine offer, there are no ambitions to make Weston a cottage hospital.

"This will enable us to try to work and implement the merger with University Hospitals Bristol."

North Somerset Council's deputy leader, Mike Bell, welcomed plans to review the A&E overnight closure in 2021.