HOSPITAL campaigner Les Sibley is hoping people born in Bicester will boost his campaign for the town to get a new community hospital.

Mr Sibley is calling for as many former cottage hospital babies as possible to turn up in Sheep Street on Saturday for the Save Our Community Hospital campaign.

Mr Sibley said he had already made contact with a dozen people who were born at the Oxford Road hospital’s maternity wing before it closed in 1980.

He said: “We would invite these ‘special babies’ and their parents from not so long ago, to come along and add their voices to the hospital campaign.

“These people who experienced the maternity services that were once on offer in Bicester have a real affection for the old cottage hospital and continually ask why they in turn cannot enjoy giving birth to their babies locally.

“In an ideal world, a maternity unit within a new community hospital would be at the heart of any blueprint to accommodate a growing population and expanding town.

"When we look at the way the town is expanding, we don’t want to see services cut at the community hospital – we want to see more provision.”

Mr Sibley hopes to take a photograph of all the former cottage hospital babies.

Campaigners will also be out in force encouraging people to sign a new petition and fill out a survey about health services in the area.

Earlier this year, Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust asked for expressions of interest from potential developers to build a primary care centre in the town.

The centre would offer a minor injuries unit, X-rays and other services, and 12 beds would be provided elsewhere in the town in nursing homes.

It is expected the contract would be awarded early next year and building work could start as early as next summer.

Cherwell District Council emerged as a potential saviour of the hospital after it offered to build at least a 12-bed hospital on land known as the south-west option, between Middleton Stoney and Oxford roads, and lease it back to the health authority.

Anyone born at the hospital should meet in Sheep Street, outside the former Woolworths store, at 10.30am on Saturday.