SAVE The Grange campaigners in Petersfield have welcomed proposals to safeguard the future of the popular birthing centre in the town. Hampshire Primary Care Trust this week published four options for the future of maternity services in south east Hampshire. It has announced its preferred choice would be to retain and improve The Grange in Petersfield, alongside a second birthing centre, Blake at Gosport, which would be staffed by midwives and healthcare support workers 24 hours a day. Bosses would also prefer it to have the same facilities at a 'co-located' unit at St Mary's which would move to the new Queen Alexandra Hospital at Cosham when it was completed in 2009. The trust's proposals will now be the subject of widespread consultation acorss south east Hampshire until October 31. This week, leading Save The Grange campaigner Sarah Roberts welcomed the proposals and urged Petersfield people to back them by voicing their support. "This is a fair and thoughtful consultation," she said. "The primary care trust has been responsive to all the user feedback that we have been giving them over the last few months and we are obviously delighted that The Grange is part of the preferred option. "We would ask people to respond to the consultation and to vote for option one. "Although Blackbrook at Fareham closes under this option, we belive all areas do win. Locally, we will have a return to full service provision at The Grange and I believe it will be a better service than we had two years ago, and this option does provide for the expansion of maternity services in the planned Fareham Hospital in the future." Mrs Roberts added: "This proposal means we will have certainty, and that is the key because there has been so much uncertainty. "This is a strong commitment from the primary care trust and the National Health Trust that they want to provide a certain future for the birthing centres without suffering intermittant closures. This really is a positive step forward." She said the campaign group would be responding formally to the consultation and would also be making itself availbale to help members of the public understand the options and make their own responses. Save the Grange campaingers are planning an event in Rams Walk to raise awareness of the proposals and the primary care trust will be holding 'drop- ins' across south east Hampshire to listen to public response. As the options went out for consutlation this week, the Hampshire Primary Care Trsut said it was determined to end the uncertainty over maternity services. "For too long birth centres have had an uncertain future, and that means women are nervous about choosing them," said Gareth Cruddace, the chief executive. "The aim is to secure a long-term and financially sustainable future for birth centres to deliver an improved service for local women and their families." He said the primary care trust preferred the first option because it ensured that the purpose-built Grange and Blake birth centres were kept open in areas which were more geographically isolated and it retained the use of the co-located unit which was one of the most used of the birth cerntres provided in south east Hampshire. In addition although the Fareham centre would be closed, the planned new hospital allowed for future expansion of maternity services in the area. Mr Cruddace urged the public to express their views by attending a drop-in event, writing or e- mailing. People can write to Hampshire PCT, Freepost (SCE 14828), Maternity Consultation, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 7BR, call 023 9224 8340, or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]. A public meeting before the primary care trust board at will be held at 1pm on September 27 in Ferneham Hall, Osborn Road, Fareham.
