Hundreds sign petition to save Kidderminster Hospital (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Hundreds sign petition to save Kidderminster Hospital

2:28pm Saturday 28th July 2012 in Local By William Tomaney

HUNDREDS of people have signed up to a petition to protect services at Kidderminster Hospital from further downgrading or closure.

Protest group the Kidderminster Hospital Alliance held a public awareness event outside the town hall today from 10am until 2pm.

Representatives of political parties, local community groups and Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier were collecting signatures from the public who had travelled to the town to make their voice heard.

Clinicians have outlined six potential models for the future of hospital care in Worcestershire as part of the county NHS’s joint services review. Two options threaten acute services at Kidderminster Hospital.

By 11am, more than 500 people had already signed the petition, which states: ““We the undersigned, demand that Worcestershire NHS retain Kidderminster Hospital, protect its services and even seek to enhance those services for the good of patients in the whole county and neighbouring areas.”

Stephen Brown, who was involved in organising the alliance, said: “I think it is excellent and we are more than pleased with the turn out.

“If you think about the background, it took us a month to get everyone together and talking but we are there now and this has hit the ground running.

“The NHS cannot ignore this. The idea of getting the coalition together was to send a clear message the people of Wyre Forest are not going to take losing the hospital or downgrading of services.

“This proves we can actually work together.”

The alliance will hold another public event on Thursday from 10am until 2pm at the Co-op on Lombard Street in Stourport.