THE fight to save Malton Hosptial maternity unit was dealt a devastating blow when consultants gave their verdict on the future of the popular facility as “unsustainable”.

Members of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) have published their findings in the wake of the decision by health bosses to close units in Whitby, Bridlington and Malton.

The NHS experts had been approached by health secretary Alan Johnson to investigate maternity services in the area. Members of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust’s board plan to axe all deliveries at the local units and continue providing ante and post-natal care from Malton Hospital.

In his report, Dr Peter Barrett, chair man of the IRP, said: “We have concluded that maintaining consultant-led maternity services at Scarborough Hospital, alongside the development of a new midwife-led unit, offers the best solution for high quality, sustainable maternity services in the area. “Over the last three years there has been a sharp fall in the number of births at the three units, selection protocols for giving birth at a midwife-led unit have been tightened and the Trust has allowed midwife numbers to decrease. Birthing units at these units should close, but only once the new midwife-led unit at Scarborough is fully working.”

Following their three-month long probe, they have also urged the Trust to immediately strengthen the midwife teams “particularly” in Malton and ensure that transport services are provided when local facilities are shut down, which should be early next year.

Back in November 2006, health bosses announced the closure as one of the methods of plugging a gap in funding for the cash-strapped organisation.

Since then, through a Gazette & Herald-backed campaign, mothers, politicians and other protesters have battled to save the doomed facility.

The leader of Ryedale District Council’s Lib Dem Group, Howard Keal, said the decision was a “slap in the face” for the community.

He said: “The only crumb of comfort in this announcement is the recommendation that Malton maternity unit should remain open until a new midwife-led unit has been provided at Scarborough.

“It is also hard to take that one of the reasons cited for the response is that the number of births at the unit has reduced when that has been as a direct result of staff cuts and a policy of closure by stealth. It’s a terrible result.”

But this decision has come as music to the ears of health chiefs. Last year, midwives and doctors delivered 1,542 babies across the district of Scarborough and Ryedale. Of these births, 98 babies were born in the maternity units in Bridlington, Malton and Whitby and around 30 births took place in each one.

Campaigners blame cutbacks in staff at the local units and limited opening times for deliveries for the low numbers.

Chief nurse at the Trust, Teresa Fenech, said: “We welcome the advice (of the independent panel) and will work with NHS organisations, our staff and local people to implement their recommendations and to make sure our maternity services are second to none.” Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Thirsk and Malton, is disappointed by the decision.

She said: ‘‘This will diminish access to maternity service in Malton and in North Yorkshire and subject expectant mothers to longer car journeys, with bad winter weather and heavy traffic in summer. Mothers living in rural areas have as much right to choose where to give births as those living in urban areas.”

Malton’s mayor, Coun Jane Ford, a leading campaigner for saving the unit, said yesterday: “I am absolutely gutted. This is a very black day for Malton because I fear this will be the start of closing other services at Malton Hospital. In two to three years we may not have a hospital.”

She is to discuss it with County Coun John Blackie, chairman of North Yorkshire Council’s health scrutiny committee, when he returns from holiday next week to see if there is still any appeal procedure left.

County Coun Blackie told the Gazette & Herald yesterday: “I am bitterly disappointed for the people of Malton, Whitby and Bridlington, who have now heard that the midwife-led maternity services they so highly value in their local hospitals are to be closed.

‘‘They are not being closed on the grounds of safety. The inquiry backed their first class safety record service.

‘‘They are being closed so that Scarborough General’s unit can be maintained. We wanted it to go ahead but we also wanted to retain the three other units.

‘‘Last week I was being asked about bolstering midwife services, now the minister is closing down three excellent units – it’s a nonsense.

“Sadly, I think it is the end of the road. The health committee and NYCC has gone the extra mile and more to keep these three valuable units open.”

Coun Blackie added: “It means that three units are being closed at the expense of keeping one other going. We were so close to winning the case but it seems the number of births wasn’t high enough at Scarborough.

‘‘Why should communities away from Scarborough – Malton, Whitby and Bridlington – have to face such inconvenience as a result?”