Five hundred people marched through Warminster on Saturday to protest against closures at the town's community hospital.

The hospital's casualty service, also known as the minor injuries unit, was closed in March 2003 because health bosses at the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust said they were unable to recruit enough staff and it was moved to Eastleigh Surgery in Westbury.

The 24-bed in-patient ward was also closed at the end of March, but has since been re-opened, with two GPs from Adcroft Surgery in Trowbridge stepping in to providing care.

Their initial three-month contract has been extended but there is still no plan to keep the ward open permanently, sparking fears the hospital could close completely.

Roger Davey, senior steward for the public services union UNISON, said: "The march was very successful. There must have been nearly 500 people there and we could not have asked for much more.

"An event like Saturday has to make people sit up and take notice because it is what the local community feel and the PCT need to be accountable to their needs.

"If they don't listen to the community then it will mean they are accountable to no-one but themselves and that can't be right."

The protest started at 10.30am at Warminster Hospital, before lapping the town and ending back at the hospital.

"We will continue to fight," said Mr Davey.

"We are still continuing with the petition we started and will keep the pressure on everyone at the PCT.

"We will continue doing as much as we can until get a guarantee for the future of the hospital and a guarantee the casualty ward will re-open."

The next 12 months will be

crucial for all community hospitals in Wiltshire as the PCT reviews

all services in the area, with

the intention of significantly

cutting the number of beds being provided.

In April, the PCT's chief executive refused to guarantee the long-term future of all the community hospitals in the area but Mr Davey believes it would be a disaster if they were closed.

He said: "All the community hospitals are looking at working together to try and secure our future.

"In terms of bed provided for local people, these hospitals are very important.

"If they are closed it will place even more pressure on the bigger hospitals.

"Casualty is the first port of call for people in the community and if there is no casualty the consequences could be disastrous."