The former Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care trust cut the number of follow-ups appointments at the clinic from 3,000 to 1,000, while acupuncture and pain treatments were also removed and a number of the clinic’s responsibilities were shifted to local GPs.

Patients say the moves have reduced the quality and level of service given to people who are in suffering and rely on treatment from the pain clinic.

The campaigners are now set to hold talks with representatives of the new North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust and hope it will reverse the decisions.

Henry Rowlands, a spokes- man for the pain support group, said: “We are hoping the PCT will accept a need for ongoing treatment and they will put up sufficient funds to Scarborough Hospital to allow that treatment.

“We have convinced them the only way forward is to get everyone round the table to discuss it.”

“It is a very important meeting and we have employed every possible tactic we can, including involving the county council’s scrutiny of health committee. We can only hope common sense prevails.”

The talks with the NHS officials, including PCT chief executive Janet Soo Chung, will take place at 11am on Tuesday May 1, hours before the PCT holds its public board meeting at Scarborough Hospital.

Mr Rowlands said he hoped to persuade the PCT to provide funding for physiotherapists, who have taken over a number of the clinic’s responsibilities, to be trained on how to treat chronic pain.

He said this would provide the hospital with extra funds for extra services and help secure its future.