Giant Stafford Hospital protest banner spells it out

Using dozens of bed sheets, the protesters will then inscribe a huge message across the fabric.

They are then planning to get an aerial photograph of the banner over the camp. The image will then be used on thousands of postcards which will be sent to the Prime Minister, Health Secretary, NHS bosses and other public officials.

The number of campers at the Weston Road site has swelled since hospital staff were told that consultants would leave the maternity unit in January, meaning most expectant mothers will be transferred to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire to give birth.

Campaigners have been camped on the hospital grounds for more than a month over the downgrading of the hospital which was deemed financially and clinically 'unsustainable'.

Maternity services are being scaled down, A&E opening hours are being permanently reduced, and children's services will close.

Campaigner Julian Porter said: "The idea is that we give thousands of postcards with this picture on it to the community so they can then send it to Mr Cameron, Mr Hunt or whoever to let them know that Stafford is not happy with what is going on and that we are camped here and are not going away.

"We asked for donations of sheets and it has been our Bank Holiday project.

"We plan to take this banner where ever we go. That could be on a march in London or even at a football ground.

"We don't know exactly how long it will be, we are just going to keep on sewing the sheets together.

"We have yet to finalise what the message on it will be - but obviously there is a lot we would like to say to a lot of people."

Dozens of people have visited the camp over the past few days since it was revealed that bosses at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire are planning to move consultant-led maternity services to Stoke in January.

The transfer means only the most routine births will be delivered at Stafford.

Campaigners have been fighting for more than a year to save services. Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust is being broken up with the University Hospital of North Staffordshire taking control of Stafford Hospital and the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust taking over Cannock Chase Hospital.