Supporters of West Suffolk Hospital have welcomed news its accident and emergency unit is safe.
Fears over the unit were raised in March 2007, when the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) launched a review of acute services in the region.
But Government health minister Lord Ara Darzi pledged to keep all A&E departments open for the next 10 years in his report, Towards the Best, Together, published this week.
Anne Nicholls, chairman of the patient liaison group Links, welcomed the news.
She said: "I am absolutely delighted.
"People will be very pleased and relieved because there was an enormous amount of anxiety about this."
Last year, the SHA announced it would look to centralise specialist care in large 'super hospitals' at centres like Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge.
Plans to increase patient treatment in community-based centres rather than general hospitals also sent shockwaves through the region.
Although these measures will go ahead in the form of a series of new urgent care centres and specialist units, all maternity and A&E departments in the region will stay.
Chris Bown, chief executive of West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, said the report was a positive step forward but was unsurprised acute services were safe.
He said: "This is no news to us as there never were any plans to close A&E at West Suffolk."
David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, who campaigned to keep the unit open, said said he was thrilled the 'cherished' A&E department was secure.
Members of the public can comment on the report until August 4 in writing or online at
www.eoe.nhs.ukhttp://www.wsh.nhs.uk/-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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