The closure of a hospital site in east Kent is effectively off the table after health bosses confirmed the move is unlikely to form part of a radical shake-up of services.

Trust chiefs say shutting one of its three main hospitals was only ever a “theoretical possibility”, despite the option being included in controversial plans to reshape how patients receive treatment,

They have also effectively dismissed any chance of a new super site being built to serve the whole area.

But they insist there has to be changes, which are largely being driven by an urgent need to cut a £35 million budget deficit.

They also need to tackle pressures on A&E departments, especially the minor injuries unit and urgent care centre at the K&C, where waiting times of more than four hours were recorded this week.

In November, the East Kent Hospitals NHS University Foundation Trust published its proposals as part of a far-reaching county wide Sustainability and Transformation Plan.

But even before its publication, chief executive Matthew Kershaw had warned that “pretty fundamental changes” were needed.

However, they say closing one of the three main hospitals in Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet is “unlikely”.

Spokesman Gemma Shillito says having done an initial assessment of the theoretical options, the trust’s clinicians favour keeping all three sites but using them in a different way.

She says the preferred model remained bringing all specialist services together at one site and retaining two hospital A&E departments, which would also provide planned care.

One of the three sites – thought to be the Kent and Canterbury – will focus on planned orthopaedic care, like hip and knee replacements, supported by rehabilitation services and a GP-led urgent care centre.

“Now there is a need for more detailed plans to look at how the plans could work in practice,” she said.

“Committees of local doctors, NHS chief executives, and councils, with input from patient groups and voluntary and community groups, are getting this more detailed work under way.”

The trust has not revealed which hospital it favours to be the specialist centre, despite strong speculation it will be likely be the William Harvey at Ashford.

Mrs Shillitto added: “This is a proposal for how services could be organised in the future and no decisions have yet been taken.

“We will continue to work up the models, and any other feasible options, over the coming months with input from staff and feedback from the public to arrive at options which will be put out for public consultation before any decisions are made.”

Tomorrow, a “listening event” is being held at Kent’s Spitfire St Lawrence ground in Canterbury from 10am to 1pm, led by the Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group.

Its aim is to help the public understand the need for change, the proposals and to answer questions and receive feedback.