HUNDREDS of Ryedale residents from mothers with babies to wheelchair users protested in the centre of Malton against cuts to the town’s hospital.

They were taking part in the Don’t Cut The Care campaign march objecting to the weekend closure of the hospital’s minor injuries unit.

The campaign is also gathering signatures on a petition to show the extent of opposition to the cutbacks and so far at least 5,000 signatures have been collected.

“We think it has been brought in by the back door,” said leading campaigner, Coun Lindsay Burr of Ryedale District Council about the weekend closure.

“We were there obviously to protest about that and also to show the feeling that there is throughout Ryedale and how the minor injuries unit is needed, not only at weekends, but with longer opening hours.”

She stressed objection to the closure came from across Ryedale and that people living in the more remote areas had to travel considerable distance to get to Malton, Malton Hospital caters for residents living in Pickering, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds as well as Malton and the nearest alternatives are in Scarborough and York.

The protesters marched from outside the hospital along Newbiggin to Market Place. Simon Cox, chief operating officer for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group, which will take over from the area’s primary care trust in April, has said it is committed to ensuring local residents have the best possible health services for their needs.

But it had to keep the service’s deficit to the minimum and protect local health services for the future.

The minor injuries unit closed at weekends from December 3 and is now open from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays only. Before this month, it had been open seven days a week from 8am to 9.30pm.