More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to save a "vital and much-loved" community hospital amid a major review of its services.

Mole Valley Liberal Democrats have launched the petition to guard against the potential closure of Leatherhead Community Hospital.

The petition comes as a healthcare review looks at inpatient beds and services at community hospitals in Leatherhead, Epsom, Dorking and Molesey.

Hospital beds were initially moved from Leatherhead to Epsom and Dorking sites for the busy winter period as a result of a nursing shortage.

But now it has been announced that the decision over whether to move the beds back to Leach ward rests on the outcome of the review.

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Paul Kennedy said the Clinical Commissioning Group, which is leading the review of hospital services, has refused to rule anything out.

Mr Kennedy said: "The threat to Leatherhead Hospital is real. It is vital that local residents engage with the review and let the authorities know how important it is for Leatherhead and its surrounding villages to keep its community hospital."

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Lib Dem Paul Kennedy and Councillor Bridget Lewis-Carr

Audrey Mellers, chairman of the League of Friends of the Leatherhead Hospital, said they have delayed donating half a million pounds to rebuild its X-ray department.

Mrs Mellers said: "We decided we had to put it off until the results of the review. We said we can’t hand over half a million pounds of charity money to a hospital that might close very soon."

She said they are continuing to buy other equipment for a hospital, including a £15,000 scanner, and very much hope the hospital remains open.

She said: "Over the years there have been very many times we worried what would happen to the hospital but it’s always come through.

"It’s frustrating we can’t go ahead with what we want to do. We can’t do anything until we know what the hospital’s future is."

When asked if the CCG could guarantee the review would not recommend the closure of a hospital, a spokeswoman said: "We can’t rule anything in and we can’t rule anything out.

"It’s about the services we need, where they should be located and the best place to operate these services from. It could be we need more locations, it could be we need less."

Conservative Sir Paul Beresford, standing for re-election in Mole Valley, said: "I want a sensible review and a review which keeps the hospital open and brings in other facilities and services to the hospital if there are vacancies.

"There are a number of things which we can do.

"And if we have got outside commercial firms to put equipment in there, then it’s something we need to approach."

He said Leatherhead Community Hospital should also play a "supportive" role to Epsom Hospital by providing additional services which complement services provided at Epsom.

The petition calls for the review to recommend reopening Leach Ward and the continuation of outpatient services and the expansion of diagnostic services. It also demands proper funding and staffing to prevent nursing shortages.

It says: "Leatherhead Hospital is a vital and much-loved facility serving our local community, supporting our local GPs, and relieving pressure on acute care facilities including the A&E department at Epsom Hospital."

In response, James Blythe, director of commissioning and strategy at the CCG, said: "We understand that individuals are passionate about their local services, which is why we are talking to past and present patients from all services as part of this review.

"The aim of the review is to look at what services we currently have, what services our population will need in the future and how these services should best be organised."

Sign the petition at http://molevalleylibdems.org.uk/en/petition/save-leatherhead-hospital

For more information on the review visit www.surreydownsccg.nhs.uk/get-informed/our-projects/community-hospital-services/