A senior hospital manager claims patients would be better off if two community hospital closed, infuriating campaigners fighting to keep them open.

Oxfordshire Community Health Trust chairman Jenny Kirkpatrick said keeping Watlington and Burford Hospitals open would lead to massive job losses.

Health Secretary Frank Dobson is currently considering health authority plans to shut the hospitals and close beds at others to save £1.5m a year.

But Ms Kirkpatrick said: "If there is a decision to stay open we have a real difficulty. If we are not looking at closing buildings we would be looking at people and making real cuts into the workforce. That has a much bigger impact on community care." Ms Kirkpatrick added: "It may not be popular but that's the way we genuinely feel. It is in the county's interest for services to be provided as equally as possible.

"Beds are in the wrong places and we need to do something about it."

But the comments sparked an angry response from campaigners.

Chris Parsons, of the pressure group Watlington Hospital At Risk, said: "The proposals have taken no account of public opinion or medical opinion. They are not making it fairer - they are making it worse."

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