Controversial plans for the future of community hospitals in south Oxfordshire are unlikely to be unveiled until the end of the year.

Campaigners fighting to save hospitals in Didcot, Abingdon, Wallingford and Wantage, had been bracing themselves for an announcement later this month.

But health bosses say changes to the primary care trust structure have pushed the timetable back.

Current thinking on change is to make Wallingford a major hospital in the area, close Wantage and Henley hospitals, downgrade Abingdon to day care and turn Didcot into a maternity unit.

Fears that community hospitals could close have sparked a prolonged protest from residents including a petition signed by 30,000 people.

But any plans will now be dealt with by the newly formed Oxfordshire PCT but that does not come into being until October 1.

Planned changes must be announced to allow formal public consultation to begin and out-going South East and South West Oxfordshire PCT has confirmed that will not happen until November at the earliest.

The PCTs had said formal consultation would begin on September 28.

PCT spokesman Alison Brumfitt added: "I think we will be looking at the end of the year, possibly the new year."

But Miss Brumfitt said the PCTs would use the extended timetable to continue talking to patient groups and residents about the issues which are driving the planned changes.

South Oxfordshire District and Didcot Town councillor Mike McNulty has been a high profile campaigner in the fight to keep all of the area's community hospitals open.

He said: "What we need to do is set aside the uncertainty about the future of community hospitals."

"The PCTs need to come off the fence, rapidly in my view, as this has been going on for two years and they need to end it."