When the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) rejected plans by Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust (ORH) to downgrade the Horton last year, it made a number of recommendations on preserving services.

A forum consisting of councillors, campaigners and trust representatives was set up to look at the future of the Horton and advise Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, which is responsible for implementing the recommendations.

At Community Partnership Forum's latest meeting on Tuesday at Bodicote House, there were concerns the ORH's bid to achieve greater independence through Foundation Status might eclipse the debate.

But ORH planning and information director Alan Stevens said its bid for Foundation Status would feature full services at the Horton.

There were also fears that Banbury's new 'Darzi centre' – GP-led walk-in health facility due to open this year – would also be a distraction.

But Horton director Mike Fleming said: "I want to reassure everyone we are not going to be sidetracked by Darzi or anything else. My brief is to run the Horton operation effectively for the community, 24-7, 365 days a year and to comply totally with the IRP's recommendations.

"The Horton operates very effective provision and a very good local service."

When it put forward its plans to reduce maternity and children's services, the ORH had said the departments and their workload were too small to be safe.

Tuesday's meeting heard that a Salisbury hospital doctor, Dr Scott Jupp, will visit Banbury to explain how his hospital has managed to work out 'sensible rotas' to allow its maternity unit to maintain full obstetrics.

A research team made up of local respresentatives, including Dr Martin Harris of Bloxham Surgery, will travel to Sweden and France to see how small maternity and paediatric units are run.

Dr Peter Fisher, a retired Horton consultant, said: "I think information gathering from France or Germany through letters and by phone and then trips is the right way round to do this.

"The key is to find out what they're doing about the European Working Time Directive. They are either ignoring it or observing it but if that is the case, how do they find enough training time for junior staff?"

Community Partnership Forum chairman Julia Cartwright said a national collaboration of small district general hospitals was emerging to work on provision of children's services and added some threatened departments wanted to learn from the Horton Hospital's experience.