Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition to save a hospital from closure.

More than 54,000 are backing campaigners at King Edward VII Hospital and hundreds more signatures are arriving every day.

The forms are being sent to Health Secretary Alan Milburn, calling for him to let the NHS use the hospital as part of the ongoing drive to reduce waiting lists.

The private hospital is expected to learn a week tomorrow if a backer has been found or whether it will be forced to close.

Run by an independent charity, leaders called in the provisional liquidator shortly after Christmas, when a rescue package with a US healthcare company fell through.

The charity, which has debts of about £8 million, blamed the failure on the Department of Health's refusal to commit itself to sending NHS patients to use the hospital's specialist services.

Hundreds of NHS patients from across West Sussex are sent to the Midhurst-based hospital every year, along with others from Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Hospital staff say they have been propping up the NHS for more than 50 years and without it patients, some of them with cardiac or cancer problems, will face long waits for treatment.

A hospital spokesman said: "The response has been tremendous. We have got so much support from people right across West Sussex and other counties.

"The local MPs are doing everything they can and have raised questions in the House of Commons.

"We believe this hospital is worth fighting for. It provides a valuable service and if it goes, then the repercussions will be felt across a wide area."

Staff at the Western Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT), are working with the hospital to make sure patients, whose care has already been booked, can continue to be treated there without disruption.

The provisional liquidator is looking for a buyer and is hoping to preserve the hospital as a going concern. Campaigners have launched a fighting fund and anyone interested in donating should call 01730 812341.