Objections to plans to downgrade services at Banbury's Horton Hospital are to be independently analysed, says the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust.

The trust wants to close the Horton's special care baby unit, end 24-hour children services, reduce maternity and obstetric cover, and move in-patient gynaecology care to Oxford.

But it has pledged not to make any decisions until a thorough analysis of the consultation responses has been completed and considered.

More than 4,000 objections to the trust's plans were submitted before the consultation deadline on October 13.

The consultation started in June and 2,000 copies of the consultation document setting out the proposals were handed out. The document was also published on the Internet, and another 6,360 copies were downloaded.

Trust chief executive Trevor Campbell Davis said: "We are very grateful to all the individuals and organisations who responded to our proposals. We are now having the responses independently analysed, and will consider their findings with care.

"As a result of the views already expressed in more than 50 consultation meetings during the summer, the board intends to carry out further work before considering amended proposals.

"Our objective remains to provide safe and sustainable services of high quality for our patients and their families, wherever they live."

Banbury councillor George Parish, chairman of the Save the Horton action group, said: "We asked for an independent opinion and I'm glad this is now an option."

The trust's board was meeting today to note a report on the extent of the consultation, and the number of responses received.