Horton General Hospital
Protecting local NHS services for Banbury and its sub-region.
The Horton matters
Horton General Hospital is a vital part of healthcare provision for Banbury and the wider area.
For generations, local people have relied on the Horton for urgent care, maternity services, diagnostics, outpatient appointments and support close to home.
A strong local hospital reduces unnecessary travel, supports families at difficult moments and helps keep pressure off already stretched services elsewhere.
Keep The Horton General (KTHG)
The Keep The Horton General (KTHG) campaign has fought for decades to protect the hospital from service cuts and downgrading. It was founded in response to repeated attempts to centralise services in Oxford, which would strip the Horton of key departments and leave its catchment without adequate local healthcare.
Early campaigns resist proposals to close the Horton’s maternity unit and transfer services to Oxford.
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust proposes removing consultant-led maternity services. Mass public opposition forces a partial reversal.
Consultant-led maternity services are downgraded to a midwife-led unit, sparking renewed protests and a judicial review.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announces further reviews of services, reigniting fears about the hospital’s long-term future.
Ongoing pressure from campaigners, local MPs, and councillors to restore full services and guarantee the hospital’s future as a general hospital.
Services at risk
The Horton’s future must be built around the services local people need, not a reduced offer that forces families to travel further when they are most vulnerable.
Maternity care
Families deserve safe maternity care close to home, with the reassurance of a properly supported local service.
Paediatric care
Children and young people need timely assessment and treatment without avoidable journeys to distant hospitals.
Emergency and overnight care
A growing catchment needs resilient urgent, emergency and overnight services that can respond when every minute matters.
Diagnostics and outpatient care
Local diagnostics, clinics and follow-up appointments help patients receive care quickly and reduce pressure on Oxford.
Why distance matters
Longer journeys can place additional pressure on patients and families, especially during emergencies, labour, illness or when regular treatment is needed.
For people without easy access to a car, travelling to Oxford can mean complicated connections, extra costs and time away from work or caring responsibilities.
Keeping services in Banbury is about fairness: people across North Oxfordshire and neighbouring communities should be able to access quality NHS care without an unnecessary journey.
The Horton serves a catchment of approximately 170,000 people (rising to approx 405,000 by 2040) across North Oxfordshire, West Northamptonshire, south Warwickshire and parts of Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire. Losing services here does not just affect Banbury — it impacts the entire sub-region.
Standing up for the Horton
The Horton must remain at the heart of our community, with the investment and services local people deserve.
I will continue to campaign for the hospital and the services local people need. The Horton is not an optional extra; it is a vital part of our area’s health infrastructure.
That means listening to patients, staff and campaigners, challenging decisions that weaken local provision, and pressing for a credible long-term plan for the site.
A new Horton scrutiny committee
Paul-Austin Sargent has been campaigning for the establishment of a dedicated Scrutiny Committee at Oxfordshire County Council that will concentrate solely on the services provided at the Horton General Hospital.
A focused scrutiny committee would give elected councillors the tools to hold Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to account, examine decisions about service changes before they are implemented, and ensure that the voices of North Oxfordshire residents and those of West Northamptonshire, south Warwickshire and parts of Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire are heard at the highest level.
Without dedicated scrutiny, decisions affecting the Horton can be made without adequate democratic oversight. Paul-Austin believes that a standalone committee — with the time, expertise, and mandate to examine the Horton's services in depth — is essential to protecting the hospital's future.
Make your voice heard
Support the campaign
Get involved with the Keep The Horton General (KTHG) petition calling on NHS England and Oxford University Hospitals to restore and protect services at the Horton General Hospital.
Keep The Horton General (KTHG)Contact Paul-Austin
Share your experience, concerns or ideas for protecting local healthcare in Banbury.
Contact Paul-AustinTalk to your neighbours
Help make sure local people understand what is at stake and why a strong Horton matters to the whole community.
Follow the campaign
Keep up with campaign updates, public meetings and opportunities to make your voice heard.
Rehousing the Brodey Cancer Centre
The Brodey Cancer Centre at the Horton General Hospital provides vital chemotherapy and oncology services to cancer patients across North Oxfordshire. It is one of the most valued services at the Horton — and we need to ensure its future at the Horton site.
The Brodey Cancer Centre currently operates from ageing facilities that are no longer fit for purpose. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has acknowledged the need to rehouse the centre, but progress has been slow and the future location of the service remains uncertain.
For cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, regular attendance at the centre is not optional — it is a matter of life and death. Many patients are elderly, immunocompromised, or too unwell to travel long distances.
Paul-Austin Sargent is calling for the Brodey Cancer Centre to be rehoused in modern, purpose-built facilities on or adjacent to the Horton General Hospital site. The centre must remain accessible to the sub-regional catchment it serves. A petition calling for investment in the centre and a commitment to its future at the Horton is open for signatures now.
Maternity services at Horton General Hospital
Maternity services at the Horton are a vital part of safe, local healthcare for families across Banbury and North Oxfordshire. Expectant parents should not face unnecessary journeys at one of the most important moments in their lives. I will continue to support the campaign for properly resourced maternity care, delivered as close to home as possible.
The Horton's decline
The Horton General Hospital site in Banbury is currently home to a number of obsolete buildings, many of which are visibly decaying and boarded up. The structures appear neglected, with paint peeling, windows secured with timber panels, and signs of long-term disuse. This derelict aspect undermines public confidence and not only detracts from the visual appeal of the area but also reflects a lack of ongoing investment.
The site is in clear need of substantial funding and redevelopment to restore its utility. Modernisation could transform it into a valuable resource, ensuring the facilities are fit for purpose and capable of supporting both healthcare delivery and wider community benefit.
Without timely investment, the site risks further decline, potentially becoming a liability rather than an asset to Banbury.
Your comments
Share your views on the Horton’s decline and the future of local healthcare.