COUNCILLORS on a powerful committee are recommending that Devizes and Malmesbury maternity units be saved from closure.

Wiltshire's county health overview and scrutiny committee considered a report by health expert Dr Suzanne Tyler and out of the three options she endorsed, the committee unanimously agreed that both units should be retained and expanded.

Their recommendation will be sent to every member of the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board who will make the decision on the units' future on July 27.

Against massive public opposition and petitions signed by almost 20,000 people, the trust has proposed removing birthing facilities and post natal in-patient care from both midwife-led units and also ante natal care from Malmesbury.

It is proposed that ante natal care is provided at the Devizes Family Health Centre in New Park Street during day time hours from Monday to Friday.

Women from Devizes would go to either Chippenham or Trowbridge maternity units and women from Malmesbury would go to Chippenham.

The trust says the closures would save £318,000. The savings are required as part of a three-year plan to cut £10million.

The county health overview and scrutiny committee has the power to refer a decision made by a primary care trust to the Secretary of State for Health.

The report by Dr Tyler was commissioned by the Kennet and North Wiltshire health scrutiny panel.

Dr Tyler, of the University of Birmingham, said the closure of both units would jeopardise a high- quality service of which the trust should be justly proud.

She said the proposed savings would be minimal.

She proposed three options: retain and the expand the units; remove birthing facilities from both units but keep ante natal and post natal care, or close both units and build a new unit between Swindon and Andover.

Malmesbury county and district councillor John Thomson, chairman of the county health overview and scrutiny committee, said: "Since the campaign started to save both units there has been increased usage of them and we felt we should support that."

The trust was due to make its decision on the units on Tuesday of this week but

deferred it until its meeting on July 27 so Swindon overview and scrutiny committee could consider all the proposals on the units.

The trust found during the consultation period that a number of women using Malmesbury Maternity Unit lived in Swindon.

The women said they preferred to use Malmesbury rather than go to the consultant-led Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

The Swindon overview and scrutiny committee is due to meet on July 15 at 7pm at the Civic Offices, Swindon.

Stephen Golledge, acting joint chief executive of the trust, said: "The Swindon committee will consider if our proposals represent a substantial change for their population."