A DECISION on whether to stop births at Trowbridge maternity unit is due this month.

Health commissioners say that not enough mums are choosing to use the unit into the town and opt for hospital led births in hospitals such as the Royal United in Bah instead.

However campaigners believe mums risk longer journeys and a greater expense if they lost the option to give birth in Trowbridge.

Leigh Robinson gave birth to all three of her children in Trowbridge and said: “Women who can’t drive or are in early stages of labour can get there fairly hassle free to be checked and made to feel relaxed at such a nerve wracking time. It’s an asset to the community and would be a shame to see it lost.”

Campaigner Andy Milroy, from Trowbridge added: “From personal experience we made it to Trowbridge Hospital with just minutes to spare. If we had needed to go to Chippenham or RUH our daughter would have been born in the ambulance in a lay by.”

Last year just six per cent of mums gave birth in a free standing midwifery unit across the county.

Wiltshire Clinical commission Group want to see Trowbridge and Paulton units close, leaving Chippenham and Frome open.

If plans are approved, two alongside midwifery unit in Bath and Salisbury hospitals will be created and more work will be done to encourage mums to give birth at home.

They believe that stopping births at Trowbridge and Paulton will free up more midwives to work in the other more busy units.

Protests were held outside Paulton, while Trowbridge campaigners urged mums to speak out in support of their experience of the Adcroft Road service.

A decision was due in July, however due to the volume of responses to the consultation into the decision, the date was extended to September.

A Wiltshire CCG spokesman said: “The decision-making process will be robust and fair and will be assured by NHS England.

"The speed of implementation of an agreed outcome following the consultation that includes the building of new Alongside Midwifery Units in Bath and Salisbury is dependent on accessing one-off additional funding to support the building of those units.”