KENNET and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust has delayed the start of public consultation on proposals to close Devizes and Malmesbury maternity units.

The trust was due to start three months' public consultation on Monday but has postponed it after concerns were expressed by councillors.

The trust will submit details of how it plans to carry out the consultation to the Kennet and North Wiltshire health scrutiny panel which meets on January 23 at North Wiltshire District Council's offices in Chippenham at 10.30am.

The trust will take the comments made by the panel back to a board meeting on January 27 when it will decide when consultation will start. It is likely consultation will start shortly after that meeting resulting in a final decision being made by the trust at its board meeting on May 25.

A separate consultation on changes to outpatient clinics will also be held at the same time.

The West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust which runs the maternity units is likely to agree at a meeting today that Devizes and Malmesbury maternity units should be closed subject to the three month public consultation.

l Donna Stiles, chief executive of the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, is leaving the trust at the end of April to start a new life in Italy.