THE petition to save the Kidderminster Hospital has collected more than 11,000 signatures as the county’s NHS prepares for the next stage of its review.

Kidderminster Hospital Alliance added another 1,132 names to the campaign list during last Saturday’s Stourport Carnival.

The petition asks the health authority’s joint services review not to downgrade or close acute services at the town’s hospital.

It is believed NHS Worcestershire will shortly announce its shortlist of potential future models of care for the county’s acute hospitals next week, although review staff were unable to confirm a date.

In the first set of six models by the NHS, two threatened Kidderminster Hospital with closure of its acute services, which would leave just a minor injuries unit, outpatient services and diagnostics in the town.

Clinicians spent August producing a shortlist of the original models.

Stephen Brown, alliance spokesman, said: “It was another great day at Stourport Carnival, taking our total to more than 11,000 signatures.”

New signatories included Stourport Mayor Gary Talbot and Mayor of Kidderminster John Aston .

“In an exciting international coup, we took our petition to Europe with the representatives of Stourport’s twin town in France, Villeneuve-le-Roi, also signing up. Merci beaucoup.

“We found out we share some common ground in that they too have experienced some anxiety over changes to their local hospital services, so they were only too willing to add an international flavour to our campaign.”

The Alliance’s next events will be at Kidderminster Harriers ’ home fixture and the re-arranged Borrington Bash fun day, both on Saturday.