MIDWIVES worked extra shifts to stop Devizes Maternity Unit closing over the Easter weekend.

Devizes along with other maternity units have staff shortages due to resignations and illness.

The staffing situation was particularly stretched at the weekend and midwives at Devizes feared that if they did not work extra shifts to cover the shortfall then the unit would have closed.

Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is proposing closing Devizes and Malmesbury maternity units to save money and transfer women to Chippenham and Trowbridge maternity units.

It would mean the loss of 11.5 full-time equivalent midwife posts. Until a decision is made on the future of the units, vacancies are not being filled by West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust.

Midwives are banned from talking to the press but patients at Devizes Maternity Unit revealed the pressure staff were under over the weekend.

Dawn Gould, 38, of Marston, returned to Devizes for post natal care on Saturday after giving birth to Max at the Royal United Hospital, Bath.

She said: "One midwife was doing three extra 12-hour shifts to cover shortages. Another midwife was working for 15 days followed by a day off. They have been working split shifts and most of them have worked extra on top of their normal shifts. They believed that unless they covered the shifts the unit would close."

Lisa Harding, 33, of Potterne, said: "The unit is running on minimum staff and they are working extra shifts to make sure the place is open. They are so dedicated."

West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust denied that it planned to close the unit over the weekend. A spokeswoman said: "A member of staff who was due to work all weekend was taken sick and staff covered her shifts. There were no plans to close the unit."