People in Wantage are divided over plans to move the town's hospital to a new site in neighbouring Grove.

Doctors are leading calls for Wantage Community Hospital to be moved to a new site, adjoining the new health centre, in Mably Way, Grove, but many residents voiced their opposition to the idea at a public meeting in Wantage.

The management of the hospital passed from the dissolved Oxfordshire Health Authority to South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust on April 1, and the trust is conducting a review of how health services will be provided in the area.

Although the trust has made no decision yet, planning permission has been granted for a hospital in Mably Way, and doctors favour leaving the outdated Wantage hospital for a purpose-built new site. More than 150 people who attended the meeting on Saturday were asked what they used the hospital for, what they would miss if it were to move and what services they wanted to be provided in future.

A record of their responses has been forwarded to the trust's chief executive.

The over-riding message was that better health services were needed in the area, wherever they are provided. But Wantage hospital was built by public subscription and many residents wanted it to stay at its current site.

Kathleen Hawkey, president of the League of Friends of Wantage Hospital, said: "We want to keep the hospital where it is and see it modernised and extended. We also want to see the old health centre turned into a residential home and day hospital." Doctors argue better services could be provided in a new building in Grove.

Dr Drew Dinnis, a general practitioner at the surgery in Newbury Street, Wantage, said: "The local GPs are keen for a new hospital to be built next to the new health centre.

"It will make it easier to respond to in-patients and accidents and emergencies.

"The new site could allow new things like cataract and endo-scopy services to be done here."

James King, 35, a business consultant, from East Challow, said the location mattered less than the quality and range of services. He said: "A lot of people get upset that it might move 5ft into Grove but the hospital supports the whole area." Cllr Andy Crawford, who sits on Oxfordshire County Council, said there were many advantages in having the health centre and hospital together.

He added: "On the other hand, there are benefits in having a cottage hospital in Wantage.

"Patients can get to it much more easily and travelling is stressful.

"If the hospital does move, I think it's very important the old hospital is used as a nursing home because there is a massive shortage of those facilities here."

Cllr Peter Kent, deputy mayor of Wantage, said: "There is a risk that there will be no hospital in this area at all, because of the cost."