Our hospital provides vital services to Banbury's growing population.

Consultant-led Maternity, SCBU, 24/7 Children's Ward, A&E, orthopaedics and Critical Care Unit are all under threat.

Here's what we know:

Maternity

A meeting was held at the Horton General Hospital on 3rd June 2016 to inform staff about the Trust's future plans for Banbury's consultant-led maternity unit.

The Trust claims the existing situation is unviable, and is proposing alternative solutions that would reduce the service to a midwife-led unit (i.e. no consultant support available on-site), with the loss of the Special Care Baby Unit and in all probability loss of the 24/7 Children's Ward.

It's only eight years since the Independent Reconfiguration Panel decreed that 28 miles / 1.5 hours in traffic was too far to travel, and that all these services must stay in Banbury in order to provide 150,000 people (and growing) with a safe, fair and accessible service.

Subsequently, the news worsened- The Trust informed a meeting that due to 'three clinical fellows resigning' the Hospital's obstetric service (doctor-led maternity) would not be safe from the first week of September onwards. They are now drawing up a contingency plan. Allegedly a recruitment drive has been unsuccessful, although the Trust representative when questioned, could not remember where the posts had been advertised.

Here's what we're doing about it:

Right now, we're gathering and analysing as much information as we can about what's going on, from all stakeholders.

We've written to 133 local GPs- the OUHFT hadn't consulted them yet.

We've compiled a survey to find out what the people of Banburyshire REALLY want.

We're getting the message out via Facebook, Twitter, email supporters and local press.

We're designing posters, adverts and banners to raise awareness of this latest threat, advertise events and show people how they can have their say, and it is this for which we need to raise funds.