SAVE the Alex campaigners are banking on residents' support at a major rally being held in a last ditch attempt to salvage the town's hospital.

Campaign leader Neal Stote says he would like to see at least 2,000 people join the demonstration at the Alexandra Hospital on October 5.

"Previous rallies have seen about 50 or 60 people turn out, which has been great but for this one I'd really like to see a couple of thousand residents come and show their strength of feeling.

''Just imagine how fantastic a sea of 2,000 or so people would look to trust board members," said Mr Stote, who also held a protest outside last Tuesday's public meeting in Studley which was attended by health chiefs.

He hopes MPs Jacqui Smith for Redditch, Julie Kirkbride for Bromsgrove and John Maples for Studley will put aside their political interests and join the rally. Mr Maples has this week written to Mr Rostill outlining his concerns about proposed changes to services.

The protest will start at 11.30am and will coincide with a meeting of Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust board being held there at 2pm.

It is expected to be the last board meeting before the new proposals, which include the loss of the Alex's maternity ward, are put out to a three-month public consultation.

A final date for the consultation has not yet been decided as it will not start until the launch of the newly amalgamated Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT).

But Mr Stote has asked for the start of the consultation period to be delayed until February while the new PCT establishes itself. The former Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT was against the loss of services at the Alex and Mr Stote wants to ensure the centrally based PCT takes the same stance.

He is also worried that if the consultation period starts in late October or even November, it will run through Christmas - when family's minds are least on hospital services.

However, a trust spokesman said that if the consultation period did run through December, it would make allowances for the Bank Holidays and continue into January if necessary.