MORE than 40 GPs have sent a letter to health bosses and politicians expressing their 'dismay and concern' at the downgrading of the Horton General Hospital.

Doctors from across Oxfordshire along with neighbouring counties said changes to the Banbury hospital would have a 'huge impact' on patients and make it harder for them to access healthcare services.

The letter came two months since NHS chiefs announced the temporary reduction of the maternity service from a consultant-led unit to a midwife-led one.

Since October expectant mothers deemed to be 'high risk' have had to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to give birth.

Campaigners Keep Our NHS Public said they were 'scandalised' the letter from the GPs had not been made public at a council meeting last week,

They claimed it had been sent the chairwoman of the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Yvonne Constance.

But Mrs Constance told the Oxford Mail she had not received the letter until the Friday morning.

The letter, signed by 45 medics, urged health bosses to 'act now' and prevent 'ill-conceived' and 'short-sighted' action.

They added: "We recognise that very specialist healthcare is best delivered in larger centres, but what is threatened is the dismantling of basic services at the Horton such as maternity and child health with the subsequent knock-on effect on other specialities and ultimately their closure.

"The downgrading will put further strain on an already stretched and vulnerable primary care service; both threatening its future and putting patients at increased risk of poor health."

On Saturday about 50 campaigners for the Horton took to the streets of Oxford in protest against Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announcing the unit would become midwife-led due to staffing issues.

Campaigner Desley Ayers, from King's Sutton, near Banbury, argued normal births could become complicated very quickly.

She added: "If they cut the hospital in Banbury, the John Radcliffe Hospital is going to have to take all those patients.

"The whole county needs to be aware of it and what is being done to our NHS."

Health managers criticised the Save the Horton campaigners for causing 'quite severe' pressures by displaying offensive posters during the trust's recruitment drive

At a trust board meeting last Wednesday director of clinical services Mr Brennan said: "I recognise this is an emotional issue and some members do not agree with our decision but their campaign should be about the service, not about individuals.

"We have concerns about the fact that there have been people's pictures under the words 'baby killers' on posters and it is totally inappropriate and puts even more pressure on staff."

Keith Strangwood, chairman of the Keep The Horton General Campaign Group, said the posters had been made by parents who attended one of their protests in Banbury.

He said: "One of them had a poster saying 'dead in an ambulance' and one said 'baby killers'.

"On our facebook site, which has 18,000 members we told people to make up their own poster and people came along because people care so much about this cause."

A review of the unit was pushed back from October to March next year.

Ms Constance, county councillor for Shrivenham added the council would wait to see the 'whole picture', adding in the long run, the Horton could see an increase in services.