The hospital closure was opposed by staff and their union

The city's local health board agreed to shut Fairwood Hospital and ward one of Hill House as part of a �12m recovery plan put forward by Swansea NHS Trust.

The trust said some of the patients could be better cared for in their own homes while those who needed hospital beds would still get one.

Some staff have claimed elderly and vulnerable patients would be "at risk".

The health board (LHB) commissions services from the trust.

The LHB chief executive Sue Heatherington told Thursday's meeting: "The clinical assessment - backed by leading doctors in the area - is that not all patients who are currently in hospital beds need to be there.

"We believe we can clearly show that all patients, who might previously have been in Fairwood or ward one at Hill House, and who require health care, will continue to receive this in an appropriate way according to clinical need."

The trust said as a result of the changes an additional 200 patients a year would benefit from rehabilitation in their own home.

Fairwood Hospital was also used as overnight accommodation for cancer patients travelling to Swansea for radiotherapy treatment but the trust said these would now be catered for at Singleton Hospital.

The trust and LHB will now seeking the backing of health watchdogs.