Rain fails to stop Wolverhampton hospital campaigners
Rain poured down and the temperatures dropped - but more than a dozen stroke survivors and their supporters remained defiant.
Bearing banners, the group called on motorists to sound their horns as they stepped up their fight to keep a Wolverhampton hospital open.
After health bosses announced they were considering West Park Rehabilitation Hospital's future, a campaign was started to save it.
And although Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust has said the service would not be cut, and there would be no redundancies, people are determined to make a stand.
They say moving the services elsewhere would impact the quality of care.
Standing under the rain outside the hospital entrance, off Tettenhall Road, on Saturday, the campaigners made their stand.
Among them was Kevin Edwards. The 51-year-old's wife, Dawn, suffered a stroke shortly after the birth of their second child, aged just 28.
Mr Edwards said she was 'kept alive' at New Cross Hospital, before two years of treatment at West Park, and then 20 months care as an outpatient.
The couple live in Fordhouses, their two children are Katie, 22, and Jack, 18.
Mr Edwards, a former lorry driver, said: "She (Dawn) was taken to New Cross where they kept her alive for two weeks, they did the basics.
"She was then taken to West Park. That's where the recovery began. She had a room of her own and support around the clock.
"It got her walking and talking again."
He added: "I am concerned they will move the service to the hospital. The quality of facilities would not be repeated elsewhere.
"They will go from a rehabilitation hospital to a room in a hospital. How can that be good for patients - I want people to benefit from the services we have used."
Jonnah Jones is chairman of the Stroke Support West Midlands. It is a charity helping people who have suffered strokes.
He said: "We have had a number of members rehabilitated there - it is a great hospital with excellent staff.
"You have a specialised unit provided specialised care. We are all worried that specialised help will be lost by moving the service elsewhere.
"We are determined to stop any move taking place."
The hospital provides rehabilitation services for patients with neurological disorders and those who have suffered strokes.
There are 56 of the centre's beds are in use after the geriatric ward was shut due in June last year, resulting in the loss of 24 beds.
A petition set up to save the hospital has almost 1,000 signatures.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust revealed in February that it was launching an investigation to see whether those services could be better delivered elsewhere.
Chief executive David Loughton said at the time: “If we decide on a process that we believe requires a change of location for the same service delivery but not a change of service then we will, of course, go through the proper consultation processes with the population we serve and we will keep staff fully engaged throughout."
