A campaign to improve services at Rugby’s Hospital of St Cross has been backed by scores of people in the town.

Resident Chelsea Lovell is the driving force behind a petition to help reinstate the A&E ward and maternity services at the Barby Road hospital.

The petition has been signed by 100 people in less than 48 hours.

It comes in the wake of the Trust announcement that it was closing the Hoskyn Ward.

Chelsea said: “Rugby is always expanding and the residents of our town are tired of asking for adequate health care facilities to be made available.

"The people who live here have asked for such a long time to have services reinstated, but it seems like more of the hospital just continues to close.”

Rhian Smith, a supporter of Chelsea’s petition, said: “We need a fully operational hospital for the size of town we have become and more growth is planned.”

Rugby MP John Slinger said earlier today (Wednesday) he would do all he could to protect services at the hospital.

He said: “After 14 years of underinvestment in our NHS, I will continue to advocate for additional services at St Cross, and I continue to raise with the Trust the need for doctor-led urgent care at the site.”

The petition shortlink is Change.org/SaveHospitalOfStCross