THE maternity unit at Guisborough General Hospital re-opens today, 18 months after it was closed owing to staff shortages.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for the unit, has managed to recruit new midwives, despite a national shortage of qualified staff.

The trust wants to ensure the unit opens and stays open, and has put out a challenge to local women to use it or lose it.

Senior midwife Fran Toller said: "Closing the unit was a difficult decision, but we were faced with safety issues and it would have been irresponsible to keep the unit open and put mothers and babies at risk.

"We're very encouraged by the number of women who are expected to have no complications throughout their pregnancy and labour who have chosen to deliver their baby at the unit. But for it to have a long-term future we need to have around 200 mothers a year delivering their babies there."

Guest of honour at this morning's opening ceremony will be Joshua Brogden and his mother Rachel. Eighteen-month-old Joshua was one of last babies born at Guisborough before the unit was temporarily closed.

As a result of the maternity unit re-opening, patients are being advised that many of the clinics held at the annexe site, next to the magistrates' court, have moved to the main site on the opposite side of the road.

The following clinics are now held in the Chaloner Ward, within the main hospital, and are best accessed through the main entrance off Church Lane.

They are: diabetes (Dr Kelly); A&E (Mr Clements); orthopaedics (Mr Hui); ENT (Mr Bosman); back care (Mrs Murray); plastic surgery (Mr Ramanathan); surgery (Mr Viswanath); orthopaedics (Mr McMurtry) and Dr Plant's rheumatology clinic.

Dr Dixon's musculo-skeletal clinic has moved to the day hospital, within the main site.

Other services, including addictive behaviour, travelling day unit, podiatry, family planning and hearing aid clinics, will remain in the annexe site.