HEALTH managers have described claims that the Friarage Hospital maternity unit is at risk as unfounded.

Concern was voiced after it emerged that closure of the unit was one of four options considered by the NHS South Tees Trust clinical futures board.

The question was again raised at the North Yorkshire County Council health scrutiny committee in Hawes on Tuesday.

Senior health staff stressed that the maternity unit was not at risk - closure had been discussed only as part of a full study into all possible scenarios.

Jill Moulton, director of planning for South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "There are no proposals to shut the maternity unit at the Friarage Hospital.

"The trust is in the process of an in-depth review of the Friarage to look at the best ways of providing safe, high-quality local services in the hospital and wider community in the long-term.

"The obstetrics team has worked extremely hard to come up with a solution to meet the training requirements for senior registrars, but recruitment and training issues are still very challenging, which is why we have to look at every possible outcome.

"However, this work includes listening to patient representatives and the public and we will continue to hold information meetings so people are aware of the many complex issues around the debate."

Along with closure of the unit, the clinical futures board examined three other scenarios - retention of the existing consultant-led service; a consultant service with no middle-grade doctors; and a midwifery-led service similar to that in place at Bishop Auckland.

The future of the maternity unit has long been a topic of debate, and in January, the hospital, the NHS trust and Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust called a briefing in a bid to end speculation.

Fiona Bryce, consultant obstetrician at the Friarage, told the meeting that the maternity unit had faced financial and recruitment difficulties caused by new European directives which forced the department to employ five new middle-grade doctors to carry out work formerly done by the equivalent of 1 full-time employees.

After consultation with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the five new doctors started in February and split their time between the Friarage and the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

This new system is due for reaccreditation next year, and though staff expect it to be approved, the clinical futures board is required to consider all possibilities.

Simon Kirk, chief executive of Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT, said: "The PCT would like to make it quite clear there are no proposals to close the maternity unit. We recognise the strength of support people have for the Friarage Hospital and are committed to keeping services as local as possible to our communities.

"We have invested an additional £170,000 in maternity services at the Friarage this year to fund a very creative solution to workforce problems arising from a reduction in hours worked by junior doctors."

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