A PUBLIC meeting over the future of services at Banbury’s Horton Hospital will take place next month.

People can give their views on what services should be at the Oxford Road hospital and discuss the suspension of emergency abdominal surgery since last January.

A venue has yet to be announced for the February 5 meeting, to be held in the town from 6pm to 8.15pm. The group is concerned the hospitals’ future could be under threat after the suspension of emergency surgery a year ago.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust said concerns were raised by GPs over gall bladder surgery, and then three consultants left making covering the hospital unsustainable.

It coincided with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) starting work on a five year plan for where and what services should be delivered.

A statement from the trust and OCCG said: “This event will give us an opportunity to discuss with members of the public our plans and strategy for services for local people served by the Horton Hospital.”

Keith Strangwood, chairman of Save the Horton General group, said: “Once a service has been removed it’s harder to get it back.’’

To register an interest in the meeting, call 01865 231472.