CAMPAIGNERS trying to prevent cutbacks and job losses at Banbury's Horton Hospital are urging local people to attend two crucial public meetings.

The first is a protest rally in People's Park on Sunday at 3pm, which organised by the Keep the Horton General action group.

George Parish, the group's chairman, said: "This is intended to be a show of strength. The people of Banbury and its surrounding villages and towns have the opportunity to let health bosses in Oxford know how much opposition there is to proposals to cut services at the Horton."

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust has announced plans to close both the hospital's the children's ward and special care baby unit, and reduce services at the maternity department.

Children will still attend the Horton as day patients, but those needing to stay in overnight will have to travel to Oxford.

Mr Parish said: "For more than ten years the Horton has survived proposed cutbacks to services thanks to pressure from local people.

"The situation now is more serious than ever before.

Local MP Tony Baldry said: "It is important for this growing town that people turn up and show their support for our hospital services not just for the hospital's dedicated staff, whose jobs are threatened, and for current patients who depend on its services, but for the next generation who will need a full range of vital hospital services on their doorstep.."

The second meeting is a public consultation on the future of the Horton.

This will be in St Mary's Church on a date to be arranged, and not in Banbury town hall on June 22 as announced last week. The ORH Trust decided to change the venue after complaints that the town hall was not big enough and had poor acoustics.