Three district councils are joining together to fight bed closures in community hospitals around Oxfordshire.

Six beds are to go for a year at hospitals in Didcot, Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage, Henley, and seven at Witney to try to save £25m.

South West and South East Oxfordshire Primary Care Trusts say they need to shut the 37 beds to break even this year, and insist the temporary cuts will not affect patient care.

The decision has been criticised by local authorities and campaigners, who fear the closures could become permanent.

The leaders of West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have agreed to sign a joint letter to the PCTs, warning them they will take legal action to keep the beds open.

West Oxfordshire District Council, which last year used the threat of High court action to stop South West Oxfordshire PCT cutting the opening hours at Witney Hospital, has been advised by a QC that the PCTs should have consulted before deciding to close the beds. The PCTs have now decided to hold a meeting on June 23 to review their plans.

Speaking at a council meeting in Witney yesterday (Wed 15/6), council leader Barry Norton said: "The PCT announced that they were going to do this having carried out no form of consultation with us, any other local authority or indeed the general public.

"As a result, this council has taken counsel's opinion, which is that we've a very strong case for a judicial review to stop them if they do not rescind their position." Leaders of all three councils will send a letter to the PCTs signalling their intention in the next few days.

Mr Norton said: "There's nothing in their plans which makes us believe that this is a temporary closure, and I think most people agree that 12 months is not temporary."

South Oxfordshire council leader Ann Ducker said: "The future of our community hospitals is very important to us.

"It's unacceptable for the PCT to decide to close beds in all our hospitals without any consultation and if it does not change its mind, we will challenge the decision."

The decision to shut the beds has also been criticised by Witney MP David Cameron, who said he would work with the councils to make the PCTs think again.

Vale of White Horse leader Jerry Patterson was unavailable for comment, but Mary De Vere, the council's executive member for community safety, said: "There's a lot of strong feeling locally that the hospital beds are important. Joining together will certainly make the case stronger."

PCT spokesman Ruth Sharrock said: "The PCTs are working hard with the local councils to ensure we can care for patients safely at the community hospitals. Patient safety remains our absolute priority."