CAMPAIGNERS are urging residents to continue the fight to reopen Wantage hospital after more than 800 people demonstrated against its ongoing ‘temporary’ closure.

An estimated 1,000 people joined the Save Wantage Hospital rally on Sunday, July 22, when Wantage MP Ed Vaizey suggested there could be more clarity on the situation in the coming weeks.

Locals are now being urged to join a letter-writing campaign and attend two crunch meetings about the hospital’s future in September, following two years’ of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) is claiming that it will provide more clarity by September, insisting it will listen to local voices.

Chief executive Louise Patten said: “We want to develop health and care services in Oxfordshire by listening to the needs of local people and starting with a comprehensive understanding of the health and social care needs of the local population.

"Only then can we ensure we make best use of the local workforce, the opportunities of digital technology and the facilities we already have - including community hospitals.

"We are working on this co-production approach and plan to be able to describe how we will go about this by September. We have heard the strong messages from our public and intend to start in Wantage and the West Oxfordshire locality."

A spokesman for Oxford Health, which owns the hospital, added: “We recognise the importance of Wantage hospital to local people and this was demonstrated on the walk last weekend. Midwifery services continue to be delivered from the site and we are regularly monitoring the water quality.

“We are equally committed to working with the local population to explore the very best solutions for the delivery of services that meet their needs.”

Both groups have pledged to work closely with local people, organisations and NHS bodies to help shape future plans.

Julie Mabberley, one of the organisers of the protest, described the demonstration as a ‘very peaceful march hiding a depth of feeling'.

The march was the second of its kind, after an event two years ago saw around 400 people protest the closure.

Ms Mabberley continued: “Many of these people were born in the hospital and even more have been treated there in the past. They want to be able to use it again."

Describing the protest as ‘a very successful event’, she continued: “We now need to take our message to those who run our NHS.

“So that we can get our message across as forcefully as possible, we need as many people as possible to write to the chairmen of the Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), councillor Arash Fatemian, and OCCG, Dr Kiren Collison, and attend two meetings.”

Councillor Fatemian did not respond to a request for comment.

The first meeting is hosted by the HOSC, on September 20, from 10am at County Hall, Oxford, though there are suggestions that the venue may be changed.

The second is to be held in Jubilee House, Oxford, by the OCCG on September 27, from 6pm.

Nearly 1,500 people are part of a campaigning group on Facebook, designed to keep up the pressure on the Trust.

Oxford Health closed the last 12 in-patient beds in July 2016, saying outdated plumbing created the risk of an outbreak of legionella.

Some maternity services are still being provided by the hospital.