HEALTH bosses are holding an open day to encourage more women to use an under-used North-East maternity unit.

Although the midwife-led maternity unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital is not under threat, it is known that hospital bosses are under pressure to justify it on value for money grounds.

The spacious and wellequipped nine-bed unit is currently used by about 350 women every year.

And despite negative publicity around changes at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, which have fuelled rumours about the future of the Bishop Auckland hospital, the numbers have held up over the past year.

But the unit has spare capacity and is coming under scrutiny as part of an efficiency drive.

At a public meeting earlier this year, Sue Jacques, financial director at the health trust, told officials from NHS County Durham that more women needed to have babies at the unit to improve its long-term financial viability.

Five years ago, the maternity unit at Bishop Auckland lost its consultants and was converted to a midwife-led unit.

Barbara Payne, ward manager at the MLA (Midwife Led Unit), said: “We are able to offer a very high quality, one-to-one service to women.”

She said the facilities, which include nine private rooms, all of which are en suite, were of a very high standard, attracting women from as far afield as North Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Only women who are expected to have a normal, uncomplicated birth are booked to have their babies at Bishop Auckland.

It was very rare for women to have to be transferred to the consultantled maternity unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital, she added.

“We give ladies the opportunity to move around and make labour as natural as possible,” she added.

Louise Coglan, 28, who lives near to the hospital, gave birth to her second child, Harry, in the unit last month.

Mrs Coglan said she had a fantastic time and had been determined to have her second baby at Bishop Auckland, despite being transferred from Bishop Auckland to Darlington to have her first, Sam, in March 2007.

“It is much more relaxed here and the staff are lovely,” Mrs Cogland added.

■ The Bishop Auckland General Hospital Midwife Led Unit open day is on Sunday, from 2pm to 5pm.

Everyone is welcome.