CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save the maternity unit at Malton Hospital were thrown an eleventh-hour lifeline yesterday by health chiefs.

Scarborough and North Yorkshire NHS Trust had been recommended to axe the units at Malton, Whitby and Bridlington hospitals in favour of an upgraded unit at Scarborough General.

But pleas at its meeting at Filey succeeded in the trust deciding to defer a decision for a month to enable key stakeholders - local authorities and health watchdog organisations - to be consulted as a result of the Government's new Maternity Matters Report.

County Coun John Blackie, chairman of the county council's health scrutiny committee who has been one of the leaders to save the maternity units, told the meeting that it was "a huge disappointment" that having decided to engage the public in consultations on the future of Malton's maternity unit, it appeared their views had not been taken into consideration.

"The suspicion is that Scarborough General is being bolstered at the expense of Malton and Whitby Hospitals," he said, adding: "You are scouring around for justifications."

Coun Blackie had told the trust board that if they voted to axe the maternity units he would take the issue to the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, for a full independent inquiry.

He added: "The choice you are giving mothers-to-be is Scarborough or Scarborough instead of Malton or Whitby hospitals as well."

He said later: "You are rushing down a road of conflict. It costs nothing to talk."

Iain McInnes, the board's chief executive, said home births were as safe as having a baby in hospital but people believed psychologically that hospitals were safer. "The level of care is the same," he said.

However the Royal College of Midwives had "strongly supported" retaining the units.

He said there would be savings made on the space the Trust rents from the Primary Care Trust. "We pay ground rent for Whitby and Malton Hospitals. But we want to see how we can better use the hospitals, working with the GPs, PCTs and our trust."

Diane Swiers, director of nursing, said some midwives employed by the NHS Trust were delivering only eight babies a year yet were on call seven nights a week. She added that ante-natal and post-natal care would continue in Malton and Whitby.

Finance director Sandy Hogg said the trust was not proposing the cuts to save money "but because it is the right thing to do. Midwives tell us that mothers prefer to go to Scarborough General on grounds of safety."

Mick Bielby of the Save Bridlington Hospital Campaign said there had been four occasions when babies had been born in the back of ambulances while women were being transferred to Scarborough.

Sir Michael Carlisle, trust chairman, said it had looked at the maternity unit issue "sincerely and in a balanced way". He said Scarborough's maternity unit would be increased to provide a wider choice to a greater number of women.