CAMPAIGNERS fear the Dilke and Lydney hospitals are under threat from a planned shake-up of the NHS.

The Primary Care Trust wants to hand over all community services to a social enterprise community interest company from next April.

But campaigners fear putting them outside the NHS will leave them at risk from closure or privatisation.

Pete Stanway from Pope's Hill said: "They will be transferring all these services over to a CIC for one to three years, but what will happen after that?

"The NHS will be fragmented and everybody will be bidding to provide services. Once they are detached from the NHS, this countywide organisation may decide it can do away with the Forest hospitals."

The PCT says it has not ruled out other options, which include Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust taking over community nurses, therapy and hospitals.

Chief executive of NHS Gloucestershire Jan Stubbings said: "Whatever the final decision is, it is important to stress that NHS patients in the Forest of Dean will continue to access the range of NHS-funded community services that are currently available, including the Dilke and Lydney Hospitals, and services would be run by an organisation responsible for delivering the NHS values."