IF wards close at Evesham Community Hospital - the hospital may be next! That's the warning from the hospital's League of Friends chairman and town mayor Frances Smith.

Now the Journal is joining forces with her and Vale doctors in a campaign to save the hospital's services.

Mrs Smith said: "We want people to be aware of the dangers to the hospital if services are taken away.

"If we don't stand up against closures now, in the future we might find ourselves without a hospital. We want residents to watch the Journal and answer to the call when we organise a rally which will probably take place in mid July."

A fighting committee is being formed and within the next few weeks the Friends of Evesham Community Hospital are going to provide as much information to the public as possible, with posters and car stickers to spread the word.

Last week the Journal exclusively revealed a cost-cutting plan by the chief executive of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, Mike Ridley.

He submitted a list of suggestions to the community hospital to help him save £4m, which included closing two wards.

This would mean many nurses and auxiliary staff being made redundant, and local services being farmed out as far as Kidderminster.

This so enraged GPs all around the Vale, the hospital staff and the Friends that Mrs Smith and the doctors met on Tuesday to draw up a strategy to fight the cuts.

The doctors are working towards finding solutions, and the Friends will be calling on the public to help them kick the plans into touch.

Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has already taken the fight to the House of Commons by tabling questions to the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt.

He said: "The fight to save Evesham Community Hospital from being downgraded is as important to Evesham as the fight to save Kidderminster Hospital to Kidderminster.

Evesham Technology Limited, has also come on board. The press officer for the computer firm, Carolyn Worth, said: "We are firmly behind the Save Our Hospital campaign." She said managing director Richard Austin has offered a website, technical advice and lots of other assistance.