Banbury MP Tony Baldry has accused Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt of passing the buck on responding to petitions against cuts in Oxfordshire hospitals.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is facing a deficit of £33m and is to axe 600 posts, with the Horton Hospital in Banbury facing radical cuts.

A public consultation meeting, organised by the trust, is being held tonight at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate's, at 7pm.

Mr Baldry said ministers announced last week in their document, A stronger local voice, that primary care trusts would be responsible for responding to public petitions, without similar responsibility resting with ministers, even if the petition relates directly to decisions made by ministers at the Department of Health.

Last month, Oxfordshire mayors, district council chairmen and Tory MPs presented a petition totalling 15,000 names to Downing Street calling for Government action to save services at the Horton Hospital.

There were a further 35,000 signatures on petitions handed in condemning cuts across the health service in Oxfordshire.

In a letter to the Health Secretary Tony Baldry called on her to publish a public response to the petitions.

He said: "Oxfordshire residents have presented three substantial petitions in the last three years alone.

"Yet despite overwhelming numbers of people speaking out against the downgrading of health services in their communities, and the petitions relating directly to statements made by ministers, those in receipt of the petition remain silent.

"Ministers have now said that it should be for the PCTs to respond to public petitions and take responsibility for the duties of ministers.

"A response from PCTs means, yet again, that the Department of Health itself remains silent."

Stuart McFadyen, Department of Health spokesman, said: "The specific mechanisms and thresholds for public petitions will be consulted on later this year. This work will be informed by the views of patients, the public, providers, staff and partner organisations."