A final attempt to stop the closure of Watlington and Burford hospitals was being made today.

Labour members of Oxfordshire County Council were calling on Oxfordshire Health Authority to reassess its plans to close the two community hospitals and 46 beds throughout the county. A final decision on the closures is due tomorrow.

Party social services spokesman Ted Cooper said: "We feel that the health authority should reconsider its plans in the light of the extra £21bn allocated to health in the Government spending review.

"The health authority proposals are a high price to pay to save £1.5m over three years.

"Now that considerably more money is available over those three years, I believe that the health authority should think again.

"The Labour group supports changes which deliver a better service and value for money. The plans as they stand do neither, only cut costs."

The party was putting forward a motion to today's full county council meeting urging the closures to be scrapped.

Under the plans, Watlington and Burford community hospitals will close, with Wallingford saved.

A new hospital will be built in Bicester, but beds will be lost at Abingdon, Witney, Chipping Norton, Wallingford and Wantage.

Protests against the plans have already been lodged by Dr Evan Harris, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Henley MP Michael Heseltine and Witney MP Shaun Woodward.

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