Hundreds turned out in the rain to protest at plans which could see services downgraded at two Norfolk hospitals.
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, which runs Norfolk's three main acute hospitals, is discussing how care might be delivered from the early 2030s, when £1.4bn replacements for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn and the James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) at Gorleston are expected to open.
While the hospitals group insists no decisions have been made, a number of proposals are on the table including the QEH and JPUH losing their A&E departments, with emergency patients being taken to Norwich to be treated instead.
On Saturday more than 500 people turned out to call for the proposals to be abandoned.
Many carried placards showing where they were from - along with the extra distance they would have to travel if services relocated from Lynn to Norwich.
'THE COMMUNITY HAS SPOKEN...'
County and borough councillor Rob Colwell, who was among the organisers, said: “Today the community spoke loudly and clearly.
"More than 500 people came to Tuesday Market Place because they care deeply about our hospital and the services it provides.
"Our message is simple: The clinical review must not result in reduced services at the QEH.
"The sheer number of people who turned out demonstrates how strongly our community feels.
"The Tuesday Market Place has been a place of protest for hundreds of years, and this was the largest demonstration in living memory."
Many of those present told how events could have taken a different turn had care not been available when they needed it in King's Lynn.
OUR BABIES COULD HAVE DIED
Among them were James Goodman-Stephens and Antonia Hayes, whose twin boys Ziggy and Ivor were born six years ago in the QEH's car park, after they rushed to the hospital from their home in Gaywood when Ms Hayes went into premature labour.
"We moved to King's Lynn six years and two weeks later these guys were born in the hospital car park," said Mr Goodman-Stephens.
"One of them had his umbilical cord around his neck. I ran into A&E, they came straight out to help.
"If we'd had to go to Norwich, who knows what would have happened. We might not have had two babies."
DELAYS ON ROADS AHEAD
Simon Ring, deputy leader of West Norfolk Council, was among a slew of local politicians at the protest.
Mr Ring's placard highlighted how much longer it would take him to get from his home in Castle Rising to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital in the event of an emergency if an A&E department was not available in King's Lynn.
"It's going to take extra time, you've got tractors on the roads, you've got accidents, you've got events at the Norfolk Showground," he said. "We all know how long it takes to get to Norwich."
MPS UNITED
North West Norfolk MP James Wild and South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy both attended the protest.
Mr Wild, who has called for ministers to intervene to ring-fence services, said losing A&E, intensive care and maternity services would have a massive impact on the people the hospital serves.
"People have come out today to show how important it is to them to keep those services here," he said.
Mr Jermy said: "I've had so many e-mails from people who are worried sick and staff too.
"They need to give some reassurance, that's my message. And then they need to be absolutely clear about what services will be here in future."
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR HOSPITALS?
The review of the QEH’s A&E, intensive care and maternity departments was first revealed by the EDP in September.
It then emerged that similar discussions were being held over the future of the same units at the JPUH.
More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition calling for services to be maintained.
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