Attendees of a public meeting in Penzance have said they would reject plans to transform Cornwall's NHS which could see wards close at Edward Hain Hospital in St Ives.

The Exchange Gallery in Penzance was packed on Wednesday night as members of the public crowded in for a discussion on the future of Cornwall's NHS.

The subject of the evening was the proposed NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), which was rejected on the night by the vast majority of those present.

The meeting was called and hosted by health campaigner and former MP Andrew George, with speakers from all parties, independent health campaigners and health service staff.

A ballot was undertaken amongst the more than 150 attendees, with just one per cent voting to say they believed the STP has been honest, clear and genuine and 99 per cent rejecting that assessment. There were also 99 per cent who voted to oppose the STP, one per cent undecided, and no one in support.

There was also a show of hands which gave unanimous support for the retention of inpatient beds at Edward Hain Hospital in St Ives, where the wards have been shut for almost a year.

As well as Mr George the meeting heard from Marna Blundy, co-ordinator of West Cornwall Healthwatch, Rik Evans, the former vice-chair of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust, independent health campaigner Dr Peter Levin, Cornwall councillors Sue James and Cornelius Olivier, and Derek Thomas MP's chief of staff Simon Jones.

Mr George's post-meeting ballot of attendees also asked if there was support for an increase in tax to improve the funding of the NHS, which received 91 per cent support, and four per cent against.

Afterwards Mr George said: "Many people expressed dismay and anger at the lack of any detail in the plan, criticising the misleading methods of asking the public if they supported qualities, priorities and improvements no one could possibly object to.

"The Conservative government wants Cornwall to cut more than £260 million from our NHS but health managers have produced a document which doesn't tell us which services will be cut and by how much to achieve these savings. The underfunding of the NHS was a major theme for attendees and there was strong criticism of the local MP for having a week ago voted against more money for the NHS when he'd previously claimed he would support the case for more and fair funding.

"Many of those who attended wanted to get together again soon to increase the pressure on both Cornwall Council and the government to scrap the STP and to instead produce a real plan which maps out how the local NHS can genuinely be transformed to a service which is safe and sustainable for the future."

Mr George is now urging local people to use the opportunity of an extended consultation period on the STP to respond to NHS managers and to press them for a different approach.