THE future of Guisborough Hospital maternity unit is to be discussed at a series of three public meetings.

Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust has arranged the meetings at Guisborough Education and Development Centre, in Wilton Lane, to gauge local opinion.

They will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 6.30-8pm; Monday, August 8, 3pm-4.30 and Tuesday, September 20, 6.30-8pm.

Jon Chadwick, chief executive of Langbaurgh PCT, who will chair the meetings, said: "We hope to hear from all interested parties, especially those who campaigned over the unit's future in 2003.

"In fact, ahead of the open roundtable discussions, we would like those who spoke up at the previous public meetings to contact us, so that we can to work together in a bid to move this matter forward."

Speakers at the evening meetings will include local GPs as well the divisional manager for women's and children's services at South Tees Hospitals Trust, Fran Toller, and chief of services and consultant obstetrician Stewart Hutchison, or one of his colleagues, from James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.