NEARLY 900 signatures have been added to the petition to save Kidderminster Hospital after a campaign group visited Bewdley.

The Kidderminster Hospital Alliance is thought to have collected about 5,000 names, adding 880 more on Sunday at Bewdley Market.

It is in response to six potential models revealed by clinicians as part of NHS Worcestershire’s joint services review for the future of the county’s acute hospital services - two options threaten Kidderminster Hospital with further downgrading or closure.

Neville Farmer , a member of the alliance who organised Sunday’s meeting, said the group had the backing of a “large amount” of people in the area.

“It was a great turn out,” added the Wyre Forest Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman. “People were coming up to us asking to sign and most shops and businesses were really happy to take in forms and get them signed.

“There is a general feeling that it is really important we get together and say to the [Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust] do not treat us as you did 12 years ago.”

Meanwhile in Redditch, where services and the A&E department at its Alexandra Hospital are threatened by four of the six options, 1,500 people turned out to a rally in the town organised by the Save the Alex campaign.

Mr Farmer said: “We are in regular contact with the Redditch group and sympathise with their situation. At the moment for Kidderminster it is probably not yet time to start taking that kind of action but it must remain on the table.

“If the NHS starts looking negatively to the Kidderminster point of view then we will have to step up our action.”

The health authority has completed the engagement stage of its joint services review and is currently in the process of short-listing the six potential models based on clinicians recommendations, a financial analysis and public feedback.

It will reveal the further options in more detail as a three-month public consultation gets underway in November.

The alliance will take its petition to Kidderminster Town Hall on Thursday from 10am until 2pm and will also be at St George’s Park, Kidderminster, on Friday from 6pm until 8pm.

For more details call Stephen Brown of the alliance on 07805 530774 or to sign the petition go to ipetitions.com/petition/kidderminster-hospital-alliance-protect-our/.