Two Derbyshire Maternity Units Will Close

Units in Buxton and Darley Dale will shut on July 1st next year after a Cluster Board meeting in Derby has found they are no longer workable.

The Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton and the Whitworth Unit in Darley Dale will now close after the meeting of the Derbyshire NHS has concluded that they are no longer economically viable.

The decision was made after a lengthy consultation process where locals opposed to the plans were able to air their concerns.

There has been fierce opposition to the proposals particularly in Buxton where almost 1,300 people signed up to an online campaign to "Save Corbar Birth Centre".

Their argument was that it wasn't practical for mums to be to travel to Stockport, Manchester, Chesterfield or Sheffield to have their babies particularly in extreme weather.

Birth rates at both places are less than 300 a year which health bosses see as the minimum practical figure Darley Dale (100) and Corbar (167).

Andrew Bingham has pledged his support to the "Save Corbar" campaign. The High Peak M.P has written a final letter to the NHS

NHS Derbyshire County feel the £3 Million that would be spent on the two centres over the next three years could be better spent they equate the money to 562 hip operations or 379 coronary by-passes for the same figure.

Fiona Lichfield from the "Save Corbar Birth Centre" campaign has given her reaction.

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