Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals Trust has responded to claims the hospitals are at risk of closure or downsizing.
A Facebook group called 'Save Ormskirk and Southport Hospitals' was set up in May 2019 but has gained recent traction - after hospital bosses began talks with other trusts to protect fragile services last month.
The group is set to hold a public meeting to "stop the closure of Southport Hospital" this Saturday (August 21) at Town Hall Gardens in Southport.
READ MORE: 'Tree' has people running away in fear near Formby Beach
However, the NHS Trust has explicitly stated the hospital is not going to close.
Trust Chair Neil Masom told the ECHO : “There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in this claim which is also disrespectful to the more than 3,000 people who work here.
“They have made tremendous progress over the past 18 months improving care for patients with the Care Quality Commission recently reporting improvements in all areas they inspected.
"It is a testament to the dedication of every member of staff that this was achieved in the teeth of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Everything the Trust Board is doing is focused on preserving local services for local people. That is why, over the past 12 months, we have been asking staff and the public for their views in our Shaping Care Together programme about future-proofing NHS services.
“However, we face some urgent challenges, especially around a dozen or so ‘fragile’ hospital services which we are unlikely to be able to continue providing alone. We need the support of the wider NHS to sustain them.
“That is why the Trust Board and NHS England consider St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is best placed to offer our hospitals long-term support.
“We continue discussions about how this might be achieved.”
Southport's MP Damien Moore echoed this, saying he was "disappointed and concerned" to learn of leaflets and social media posts indicating the hospitals could close.
Mr Moore also shared a letter from Trish Armstrong-Child, the trust's chief executive, on his Facebook page.
The letter reads: "I can confirm there are no proposals or plans which would see Southport and Ormskirk hospitals closing in the future."
In July, Southport and Ormskirk announced Trish Armstrong-Child will leave her post for a similar role at Blackpool later this year but the talks between the two hospitals are said to be unrelated to that departure.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
