HEALTH campaigners will take to the streets of Worcester this week to protest at proposed cuts.

Members of PUSH (People United Saving Health Care) will meet at the Elgar Statue, High Street, at 5.30pm on Friday to make it clear to health chiefs that any changes to services must benefit the community.

The county's health services are battling a combined £54.6m debt, so changes to services inevitable.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, which oversees a range of community-based services including GP surgeries, dentists, and health visitors, faces a £16.2m deficit, and chief executive Paul Bates says he will not shy away from difficult decisions.

Worcestershire Mental Health Trust has a £6.6m deficit and changes proposed include moving in-patients aged under 65 from Bromsgrove, to Hillcrest, in Redditch, or Kidderminster. Worcestershire Acute Ho-spitals NHS Trust has suggested transferring maternity services, the children's ward and emergency gynaecology from Redditch to Worcester in a bid to help reduce its £31.8 m deficit.

Neal Stote, chairman of Save The Alex Action Group, which is a part of PUSH, said: "We need to know why changes are made and how they will benefit the community, and we will want to see the evidence to support any changes to services.

"What most people want is to be told exactly why the financial situation in the health service in this county and beyond is in such a mess."