Blaenau residents took part in a rally to support their hospital

Campaigners claim health officials had no intention of saving any beds despite what they had stated previously.

But Gwynedd Local Health Board said beds would still only be closed once community health services were in place over the next three years.

They said campaigners had taken a comment "out of context".

The row erupted after a meeting between Gwilym Euros Roberts, chairman of the Hospital Defence Group and chief executive of Gwynedd Local Health Board, Grace Lewis-Parry.

Mr Roberts said the chief executive said a definite 'No' to his question about whether she envisaged any beds being left at the Blaenau Ffestiniog memorial hospital in three years time.

The likelihood is that there will be no beds there in the end Dylan Williams, local health board

Dylan Williams a spokesman for the health board said however Mr Roberts had taken the comment out of context.

"Nothing has changed from the decision in December last year about the work which will be undertaken at Blaenau," said Mr Williams.

A local group had been set up by the health board, Mr Williams added, and they had been discussing at length what would happen at the hospital over the next three years.

"Three years is quite a way to go and we have to make sure that services we have put in place are working during this time - the likelihood is that there will be no beds there in the end," Mr Williams added.

Beds are needed

Gwilym Euros Roberts said the defence group's understanding had been that the number of beds were being reduced from 17 to between eight and 12.

"They told us in December that the situation would then be reviewed at the end of the three years - that is very important - reviewed in three years.

"If the chief executive now says that her vision and that of her staff is that there will be no beds left in three years, you can't tell me that the review of services has been fair and balanced," he added.