READERS are urged to hand in their petition forms for the final push in the campaign to save Malton Hospital maternity unit.

This week is the last chance for residents who are concerned about the planned changes to the hospital to add their name to the petition.

In an overwhelming response so far, more than 1,600 people have put their name to the Gazette & Herald campaign urging health chiefs to keep maternity services local.

If bosses from the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust get their way all deliveries at Malton Hospital will be stopped and mothers will either have their babies at home or travel to York or Scarborough hospitals. Under the planned changes, all post and ante-natal services would still be based at the hospital's maternity unit.

Mothers, health professionals and other concerned members of the community are invited to a public meeting next Wednesday where the petition will be handed over to acting trust chief executive Iain McInnes.

Coun Howard Keal, who has been active in his protests over the proposed changes, is urging concerned residents to attend the meeting, which will be held at Malton Rugby Club.

He said: ''I would encourage anybody with a view on the future of Malton maternity unit to attend this meeting. It's very important that voices are heard and for the trust to realise how much people care about local services.

''I'm looking forward to attending the gathering myself and tackling the people who are trying to reduce choice for women in the area.

''We need to show the strength of feeling about this issue but even if people don't want to be vocal it's important just to turn up and show strength in numbers.'' At the moment NHS trust officials are going through a consultation period with locals, professionals and councillors over the planned changes to maternity services in the area.

It is expected to last until March when they will make their decision after three months of debate.

The Gazette has been leading the fight to stop the gradual erosion of maternity services in the area and editor Chris Buxton said he had been bowled over by the level of support from within the community.

He said: ''This is the last chance for people in Ryedale to let the NHS trust know that we want an improvement in local health services, not a reduction.

''It makes no sense to make women travel to York and Scarborough when there is a perfectly good local maternity unit on their own doorstep.

''Women should be encouraged to make use of local services and I would urge people to join the fight to protect Malton Hospital. Every signature does count''

  • Representatives from the NHS trust will be meeting with county council members sitting on the Ryedale Area Committee at Malton Rugby Club on Wednesday, January 17. The meeting starts at 10.30am and all members of the public are welcome to attend and will be able to put their questions to officials.