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Paper launches wristband bid to save under-threat hospital

The Gloucester Citizen has joined forces with a campaign to save Stroud Maternity Hospital, under threat from health cuts.

The Citizen is offering readers the chance to help the hospital by offering wristbands for sale at 20 high profile outlets in the Stroud area.

The wristbands are pink, with the slogan “Stroud maternity matters, keep it open”, and have a minimum donation of £1, with all proceeds from the sales going to the hospital.

Citizen editor, Ian Mean said he was “delighted” that the newspaper could help campaigners get their message across.

He said: “The Citizen is committed to giving readers the opportunity to have their say on issues like this and we were delighted to be able to do out bit to help.”

Members of the Gloucestershire public also turned out in protest in London to question health secretary Patricia Hewitt over the £40m cuts to the NHS service, the protest group is called the ‘Save Our Services Express’.