MP Shaun Woodward pleaded with the Prime Minister to personally overturn a decision to close a community hospital.

The Witney Conservative MP told Tony Blair he should review the closure of Burford Community Hospital and look at the extent of the Oxfordshire health crisis himself, including the closure of Watlington Community Hospital too and the shortage of beds at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.

During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons yesterday, Mr Woodward said: "The Prime Minister should know that, on November 25, the director of nursing at the John Radcliffe Hospital wrote to doctors in my constituency, saying that at that hospital, there was now extreme pressure, and asking GPs to slow down their rate of referral. "On December 1, the director of nursing wrote again, saying accident and emergency was full, there were overwhelming numbers of patients on trolleys and patients could no longer readily be taken off ambulances.

"The Oxfordshire health crisis is severe and yet the Prime Minister has, with his Government, overseen the closure of Burford Community Hospital.

"The chairman of the Community Health Trust has resigned because of this.

"Will the Prime Minister listen? Will he keep the hospital open?

"And, at the very least, will he agree to review it himself personally?" The Prime Minister responded: "In relation to Burford, of course, this decision was taken by the local health authority.

"I understand the honourable gentleman's unstinting support for that hospital.

"I have to say to him, however, in relation to Oxfordshire Health Authority, I don't in any way diminish the point he is making and pressures people are under.

"But we are trying to get this situation better by reducing the levels of pressure there are for services like NHS Direct, and by putting large sums of additional funding in."

Story date: Thursday 09 December

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