Two months ago the Surrey Comet started its health campaign to raise awareness of cuts to local health provision.

Kingston Primary Care Trust (PCT) is £22million in debt and as a result set out a dramatic £9.6m savings plan in its budget which it called a 'turnaround plan'. As the Surrey Comet was set up to campaign about health issues in London we felt it was important to flag up these changes and cuts, and to point out who would be affected by them.

The beginning of the campaign coincided with a health survey conducted by MP Edward Davey who reported that he had received more than 2,500 responses to the questionnaire although the results of the survey have not yet been processed.

We have also had letters and emails of support from residents and local charities, and people affected by the cuts came forward to add their stories to the campaign.

Attendance of public meetings - such as the AGM of Kingston PCT and the health overview and scrutiny panel - has been overwhelming with many concerned members of the public and residents affected by cuts turning up to have their say.

In these two months we have seen a u-turn on the PCT's decision not to consult on the closure of the Springboard work scheme for people with learning difficulties, a centre which the Comet has campaigned for in the past.

As we started the campaign, the chair of the panel, Councillor Don Jordan, said consultation should be avoided if alternatives could be found. But the panel has since found its voice as the watchdog for local health care and called for extraordinary monthly meetings with healthcare officials to receive updates on the cuts.

It has passed a motion to say it is not happy with the PCT's choice of cuts - which tend to affect the vulnerable - and that alternatives should be sought, and has also taken action to ask the Health Secretary Alan Johnson to cancel the PCT's debts.

At its meeting last week it was also decided to look into the legality of the PCT not consulting the public on the closure of the Fuchsia Ward at Tolworth Hospital.

Residents, Conservative councillors and patients affected by the mental health cuts also staged a large protests in Kingston, New Malden and Tolworth. They asked members of the public to sign a petition asking the PCT to reconsider the cuts and have so far received more than 2,000 signatures.

Although the campaign did not have a specific target, we did hope to ensure the best outcome for Kingston residents in light of the PCT's financial position.

Geoff Martin of London Health Emergency said: "I'm actually really optimistic that we can reverse some of these cuts and the privatisation of elective surgery at Kingston Hospital.

"With the local MPs Susan Kramer and Edward Davey, UNISON, London Health Emergency and the Surrey Comet we have a really good chance of pushing back the cuts.

"What the Surrey Comet has done has really helped to set the tone for that. Local papers have started to take on these issues as a point of advocacy and this can only be good for the health service in Kingston."