by Mary Graham

Plans for the future of Maidstone's maternity services could be referred to the health secretary following fierce oppostion.

A special committee reporting to Kent County Council's health overview and scrutinty committee has been formed to look again at plans to concentrate maternity services at the new Pembury Hospital from 2011.

That Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust says obstetricians will be able to work more hours on the Pembury labour ward and the plans will improve specialist care for women and babies.

But it leaves a midwifery-led birthing unit in Maidstone, which would not be able to provide emergency procedures such as Caesarean sections and epidurals, provoking widespread opposition with 20,000 people signing petitions against the move.

After health bosses were grilled by councillors and campaigners from MASH - Maidstone Action for Services in Hospital - KCC has agreed more evidence should be collected and a decision taken early next year, whether to ask health secretary Andy Burnham to look at the plans.

Mr Burnham could decide to ask an independent panel to examine the plans.

Councillors voiced their concerns and the KCC committee also heard from Dr Dib Datta, a consultant obstetrician at Maidstone Hospital, who told them women in Maidstone would be at a "big disadvantage" if there was no consultant support at the hospital.

"I have seen how low risk pregnancies can snowball from low risk to high risk in minutes," he told the room.

Similar plans for concentrating maternity services between hospitals in West and East Sussex have been thrown out. The most recent decision to keep consultant-led services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and not merge the services in Brighton, was made last week.