Petition after ward at Rugby's St Cross Hospital closes

Campaigners have been collecting signatures calling for a hospital ward to be reopened.

The 22-bed Birch Ward at St Cross Hospital in Rugby closed last month to save the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust £1m a year.

The closure is part of plans to save £8.5m. No jobs were lost as a result of the closure, which is "until further notice", the trust said.

Campaigner John Slinger said he wanted assurances about the ward's future.

Mr Slinger, also a member of the Rugby Labour Party, said: "We're not giving up, no, absolutely not.

"On 26 November we were out on the streets of Rugby and we collected over 1,000 in under three hours.

"The overwhelming message from the people of Rugby is that they are very, very concerned about the closure of the ward. Yes, the ward has closed but we want to maintain the pressure on the trust."