Campaigners will attend a candlelit vigil over the loss of a service at Deal hospital.

The event, this Friday, will see the launch of a public consultation after phlebotomy services were axed at the London Road hospital in October.

The move sparked fears among patients, who worried the loss of the clinics - which were provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust - would lead to longer wait times.

Blood tests are now being carried out in GP surgeries across the town. Similar changes took place in Herne Bay.

Health campaigners Marsha Horne and Anne Matthews are calling on residents to join the vigil to "show the depth of community support for more services to be provided at the hospital".

They say no consultation was carried out over the loss of the blood clinics, which were also stopped at Herne Bay hospital.

Ms Horne said: "Many people are telling me that even before the closure, getting blood tests done at the GP surgeries has been an issue for them, friends or family.

"With the added pressure GP surgeries have been facing for the past few years, moving all blood testing back to the surgeries only added to the existing problems and means that the new GP service faces even further problems with timely provision.

"Yet despite voicing their concerns and problems with the service, people rightfully feel they are not being listened to.

"There are issues around getting blood tests when they are needed (without very lengthy waits for appointments), accessing booking and problems related to having to travel to other towns for blood tests.

"It’s simply not working. The NHS is meant to be about and for people. This is not the message that has been sent."

Former health professional Ms Matthews added: "We want to see blood tests back at Deal Hospital.

"It takes great skill to be able to carry out blood tests, especially where there are hard-to-find veins.

"I have seen bruising I wouldn’t expect to see on a patient where the blood test was not done well enough. The medical team at the Deal Hospital were experts in doing blood tests. They should be back doing them again."

MP Natalie Elphicke is backing the campaigners, alongside Deal councillors Trevor Bond and Tony Grist.

The MP will be launching a full public consultation to all residents of Deal, Walmer and affected villages on blood tests herself and the consultation will be open from February 25 to April 2.

Mrs Elphicke said: "There’s a strong feeling in the community that healthcare changes that impact so many people should have been subject to consultation.

"Concerns that have been raised about issues with blood testing services are not being taken seriously.

"So I am carrying out a consultation with all residents of Deal, Walmer and affected local villages on their experience of blood testing services - and where they want to see them carried out.

"It’s so important that healthcare delivers what is wanted and needed by residents.

"I hope as many people as possible come and join the vigil to support Deal Hospital, complete the public consultation and back the call to get more services being provided there."

Cllr Grist, who previously launched a petition over the loss of blood clinics, said: "My petition on the reinstatement of blood tests at Deal Hospital has received thousands of signatures.

"I will be presenting it to the Chief Executive of the Hospital Trust. It is a disgrace that there was no community consultation about this change and I am pleased that this is now happening.

"The newly implemented service isn’t working and the Hospital Trust just aren’t listening."

Cllr Bond said: "In spite of numerous meetings with health chiefs and conversations with GPs, the bottom line is that this new service isn’t working in the best interests of patients and residents. That’s got to change.”

The vigil will take place on Friday (February 25) at 6.15pm at the entrance to Deal Pier.

Residents should bring their own torch or phone to light up.

The NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group says it was "always the intention phlebotomy services would continue to be provided locally in both Deal and Herne Bay", adding they worked with practices to "plan communications to explain the changes".

A spokesman said: “Phlebotomy services are part of routine care that all general practices are contracted to provide; we have been monitoring the number of blood tests available since the transition from Deal hospital to general practice and they are remaining at a steady level with general practices delivering more appointments than were delivered at the hospital.

“The trust, which owns the site, has confirmed it sees the hospital as an important local resource and doesn’t have any plans to remove other services.

"We also believe local community hospitals, such as Deal, are an important part of overall NHS provision and we do not have any plans to decommission services provided there.’’