The Waitaki Community Hospital Action Group was formed in response to staffing and infrastructure restructuring plans outlined in a confidential "proposal for change" document obtained by the Otago Daily Times in February, that included a proposed staffing restructuring and the reconfiguration of the hospital's layout.
The petition started in March and has gained 1172 signatures.
Of those, 756 were completed online.
Action group chairwoman Janice Clayton said the petition focused on three aspects - staff safety, the retention of services, and infrastructure support.
It would now be presented to the council after local government elections in October, she said.
"We had arranged to present to [Labour list] MP Jo Luxton after completing parliamentary requirements. We were advised by the parliament clerk that our petition may be best to be orientated to the local council.
"In a group decision we accepted their advice and agreed to present to the new council after elections for their consideration and review," Dr Clayton said.
She claimed common themes such as "poor communication with communities, top-down bullying and toxicity" were evident within the Southern District Health Board area and at Oamaru Hospital, which is owned and operated by council-controlled organisation Waitaki District Health Services, a model Dr Clayton said was lacking in some areas.
"We are concerned that being a CCO presents some accountability gaps between the council and the Ministry of Health, as it is not set up to handle a third-hand relationship like Waitaki District Health Services Ltd.
"We also think the public are distanced from representation by the CCO structure."
However, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher disagreed with those claims and said the model was sound.
"I think there very deliberately is a gap between the two, because the ministry deals with the Southern DHB. I don't think there's any accountability from the hospitals to the ministry. They are accountable for the contract they have with the DHB.
"There is a number of different models and we are fairly unique with having a CCO looking after our hospital. There are numerous examples of trusts who run hospitals ... I don't believe there is any significant difference compared to a CCO model."
