A SPECIAL meeting will be held in Wantage next week to unite campaigners fighting against the possible closure of Wantage Community Hospital.

Wantage Hospital League of Friends will host open session at The Beacon on Thursday, May 19, from 7.30pm.

The announcement is the latest hurrah for a growing campaign to keep the facility open after an indefinite closure was announced for this summer for repairs.

A petition launched by Wantage resident Emma Jones to "save the hospital" now has more than 2,400 signatures and a growing number of current and former patients are lending their voices to the protests.

Five new mums who have all been received care from midwives at the hospital this year are championing for the first floor maternity unit.

Fiona Foster, from Wantage, received help and support from maternity unit staff after having her baby girl, and said the team had made being a first-time mum easier.

She said: "I feel so fortunate the maternity unit was fully operational throughout my pregnancy.

"Having experienced two miscarriages, the reassurance they were able to provide was invaluable to me.

"Being able to be seen locally, and not having to go into Oxford for every appointment, particularly during the last month of my pregnancy, reduced the stress considerably."

Sophie Hurden from Charlton gave birth at Wantage and said the maternity services were "second to none".

Kelly Lea gave birth to her son Sebastian at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford five weeks ago but has received care from the Wantage team.

The PR consultant from Charney Bassett said: "Our group has experienced a variety of births, but irrespective of whether our babies were born in Wantage or at the JR, there has been one shared experience throughout - the exemplary support and continuity of care provided by a close-knit team of midwives who go above and beyond to reassure parents during an exciting and challenging time.

"We would like to encourage everyone who is campaigning to save Wantage Community Hospital to use some of that voice to help ensure Wantage midwives continue to be based in Wantage on a permanent basis."

The new Mayor of Wantage, Steve Trinder, said he hoped the hospital could be kept open, but that if it were to close the town must fight for equal services in the area.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Oxfordshire's seven community hospitals, announced the indefinite closure of Wantage on April 20.

The trust said the entire plumbing system would have to be replaced in order to eradicate legionella bacteria detected in the water.

However it also said that after the hospital had closed in "early summer" it would then stay closed until after the trust had run a county-wide public consultation this autumn to determine the future provision of bed-based care Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Councillor for Wantage and Grove Jenny Hannaby, also a member of the league of friends, was one of many who raised fears the temporary closure could provide an excuse to permanently close the facility.

She and other members of the friends are now collecting signatures for the Ms Jones' petition around the town.

Sign it online at change.org