ABOUT 50 Kidderminster hospital campaigners are to lobby parliament on Monday over a new blueprint for district hospitals.

Health Concern is warning a shortage of specialists, junior doctors and nurses is threatening the downgrading of at least half of all district general hospitals under the proposals.

The scheme, which has been drawn up by the Royal College of Physicians and the NHS Confederation, would see remodelled district hospitals - many of whose acute services could be at risk according to campaigners - working in partnership with larger area hospitals in a bid to accommodate the shortages.

Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor, who will be meeting with campaigners in London on Monday said: "Although it may be unwelcome to people elsewhere who currently enjoy full services, it could be a considerable extra step forward for us here and I would welcome investigating it for our district.

"While urging the Government to remedy the staff shortage problems as a top priority, I believe the model proposed has possibilities as an interim measure we could explore. It could offer less drastic cuts in hospital services than those recently imposed on Kidderminster, Wyre Forest and beyond."

Malcolm Cooper, vice-chairman of Health Concern, said the numbers of people allowed to attend had been strictly limited to 50 per hospital or Kidderminster could have raised 1,000.

Before meeting in Westminster Hall to hear details, groups from Canterbury, Crawley, Gosport, Penzance, Solihull, Wyre Forest and Shropshire are expected to deliver letters to the Prime Minister and the Department of Health to express their concern about the future levels of care in their hospitals.