CONCERNS have been raised that people have been given false hope over a rescue plan for paediatric and maternity services at the Horton Hospital.

Proposals for consultants to run those services at the Banbury hospital have been agreed in principle by Oxfordshire PCT board.

But cost will be the crucial factor when final plans go back to the board next summer.

The Better Healthcare Programme, BHP, which was set up to secure services at the Horton, has spent the last 20 months trying to find a solution to retain the children’s ward and maternity services at the hospital.

Last week, the PCT board gave BHP the green light to push ahead with the proposal and come up with more detailed plans about how services would be run, including cost.

But it has not guaranteed paediatric and maternity services will be retained at the Horton.

At the meeting at Cherwell District Council’s headquarters in Bodicote House, Banbury, BHP also came under fire for a lack of financial details for the proposal.

Bryan Thompson, a non- executive director with the PCT board, said: “We really need to know what we are going to commit to.

“We have money next year and then for four years no more money.

“This paper is a disappointment to me.

“After one-and-a-half years there is not one figure on it.”

He said people’s hopes had been raised that paediatric and maternity services would be saved without the BHP establishing if the proposals were affordable.

Kay Symons, another non- executive director, said: “It sounds as if whatever you find it’s going to be more expensive than what we fund at the moment.”

But Alan Webb, director of service redesign, said: “I don’t think we have raised anyone’s expectations, we have been clear, this is not without its difficulties.

“The programme board was charged to develop an alternative to the current model.

“We are not saying we can afford this, this is not the business case.”

Afterwards, hospital campaigner George Parish said: “They can talk about money — but my view is, what about the children and mums expecting.

“I am sure the will is there from the people looking at the services, the will is there from the programme.

“I would hate to think what could happen — those services are needed.

“I really think they have got no choice but to find that money.

“Children above all should be looked after.”

The programme board will now work up detailed plans of how its proposal can secure paediatric and maternity services at the Horton.

Several years ago the Independent Reconfiguration Panel overturned a decision by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals to downgrade services at the hospital.

It was told to come up with a way of maintaining paediatric and maternity services.