Campaigners march to save maternity unit

Local residents who had enjoyed care at the centre formed the bulk of marchers

Campaigners have marched through a Leicestershire town to demand the return of services at a local baby unit.

In July, St Mary's Birth Centre in Melton Mowbray stopped taking patients after NHS officials said "long-standing challenges" had "worsened in recent months".

It was described as a "pause" lasting for "up to" six months while work was carried out to determine next steps.

But many in the area said the unit stood as an example of best practice and was valued by the community.

Organiser Anna Foster said the team at the unit were "incredible"

Challenges at the centre included difficulties in achieving "safe" staffing levels, with about 30% of the team "unavailable due to maternity leave, sickness, or planned absences", the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust said.

Anna Foster, who had her first child at St Mary's and follow-up care there with her second child, helped organise the march.

The 35-year-old said she felt it should be used as a centre of excellence rather than closed down.

She said: "Women deserve to have this as a choice in their birthing options.

"They deserve to have a free-standing, midwife-led unit where the care is exceptional.

"I've never ever experienced care like it at St Mary's; the team are incredible, they're incredibly dedicated, and because they're with you your whole journey, you know exactly which midwife you're walking in to that room to have your baby with, and you can't quantify any of that with money."

The centre is based at the Melton Mowbray Hospital site

Aimee Schofield, 37, said the centre helped her when she struggled with breastfeeding.

"We'd never have got anywhere with it if it hadn't been for St Mary's and the local peer support groups.

"And so it's really, really important for us that other people get the same choices that we had," she said.

Julie Hogg, chief nurse at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "Pausing births and inpatient care at the centre was a difficult but necessary step.

"We did this to ensure the safety of mums and babies - nothing is more important.

"We are currently working with colleagues at the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board to determine next steps for St Mary's Birth Centre.

"No decision has yet been made and we will continue to keep people informed."

Last year, 92 births occurred at the unit, compared to 9,331 across the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital, UHL added.