Up to 10,000 people have taken part in a protest in Clonmel, Co Tipperary against proposed cutbacks at South Tipperary General hospital.
This was the first protest by the Save our Hospital Services group against the HSE's plan to remove acute services from South Tipperary General Hospital.
Organisers say the turnout reflected the sense of anger and opposition to plans that will result in the downgrading of the hospital which serves patients across a vast area - including North and South Tipperary - as well as parts of North Cork and West Waterford.
The Save our Hospital Services group say that if acute services such as maternity, surgery and emergency services are removed from Clonmel, an estimated 150,000 people will be affected.
The group says it is not against reconfiguration when it makes sense, citing the relocation of breast cancer services to Waterford in line with the centres of excellence philosophy, but it said it is opposed to what it called this ill-conceived plan.
A spokesperson for the organisers of the protest has said they will meet Minister for Health Mary Harney on Wednesday.
In a statement tonight, the Health Service Executive said there would be no downgrading of services at the hospital, but the range of services may change in line with international best practice on centres of excellence.
The HSE said its South's Acute Hospital Steering Group, which represents all four hospitals in the South East, has undertaken a detailed analysis and plans to finalise its proposals towards the end of April.
In the meantime, the HSE said South Tipperary General Hospital would continue to be the acute hospital for South Tipperary and its environs.
