David Cameron will today meet NHS staff who are trying to protect their hospital against closure.

The future of the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, is currently under discussion as part of a review of local health services.

The Conservatives have launched an online parliamentary petition urging the chancellor, Gordon Brown, to "stop the NHS cuts".

Mr Cameron has pledged that, under his party, spending on health would go up.

Chris Marks, one of the hospital's clinicians, who is leading the campaign, will meet Mr Cameron and show him round the accident and emergency department.

London Health Emergency, the pressure group opposed to hospital closures, said: "When the Tories start outstripping Labour on public confidence over the handling of the NHS you know that the world has turned upside down."

"It's no wonder Labour's support amongst its core voters is in freefall when they are cutting and privatising health services in a way that even [Margaret] Thatcher would have balked at."

Surrey campaigners invited the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, to visit the hospital earlier this month.

Mr Marks said that Ms Hewitt ought to see for herself the care that is being provided, "day-in day-out, and get a sense of the overwhelming support for the campaign to save this vital health facility".

Later this afternoon Mr Cameron will visit the Lorica St Patrick's in Hove, a homeless night shelter and hostel.

He will tour the centre and meet local voluntary sector activists.

Mr Cameron used a speech at the Guardian public service summit last week to condemn the constant restructuring of the NHS under Labour.

The Conservatives have also roundly condemned the job cuts and closures taking place partly as a result of the deficit facing the NHS.

Mr Cameron vowed last week to keep many of the government reforms introduced in the NHS, such as practice-based commissioning by GPs, and foundation trusts. He also promised to retain "independent delivery" of some healthcare, and the new NHS funding system, payment by results.

However, he also reiterated the party's determination to scrap targets imposed from Whitehall to allow frontline professionals to decide clinical priorities for patients.