by Adam Williams

awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Mothers and student midwives were among those to quiz NHS bosses on the future of east Kent’s maternity services on Tuesday.

A public meeting at Northgate Community Hall in Military Road was attended by about 30 people as part of the ongoing public consultation led by NHS Kent and Medway and the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Births have been suspended at the Canterbury birthing centre and, since June, this paper has been running the Save Our Baby Unit Campaign to show how important the facility is.

James Ransom, lead commissioner for maternity services for NHS Kent and Medway, stressed no decisions have been made on the future make-up of services.

He said: “We need to maintain the choices for giving birth across the county, while handling a rising birth rate. In the last few years, we’ve seen a downward trend in births at Canterbury and Dover.

“Some of our most experienced midwives have already transferred to Ashford to handle a rise in births at our acute unit.

“But, we would emphasise no decisions have been made, despite us having a preferred option.”

That preferred option would see an end to births at Canterbury and Dover’s Buckland Hospital and the opening of a midwife-led birthing unit at the QEQM Hospital in Margate. Canterbury mothers-to-be would face lengthy road trips to either Ashford or Margate, unless they are considered low risk enough to give birth at home.

Read more reaction and see pictures in this week's Kentish Gazette and Faversham News.

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