A CAMPAIGNER is hoping an alternative plan will save the threatened maternity services at Horton General Hospital.

Val Ingram, one of the driving forces behind campaign group - 'Keep the Horton General' - has sent an alternative proposal to stop the impending downgrades at the maternity unit.

She has contacted bosses at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) to challenge its 'Contingency Plan' that will see the unit reduce from a consultant-led to a midwife-led facility.

The trust's measures mean expectant mothers deemed to be at high risk will have to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to give birth.

OUH took the decision to downgrade the unit without any public consultation after it struggled to fill vacant posts, although it means the change would only be temporary.

Mrs Ingram said: "I feel very passionate about keeping these services as they are.

"There is a serious risk to life, childbirth is not textbook, it can be extremely complicated.

"These measures, particularly the transport issues, have a lot of women concerned that they will lose their baby in the back of an ambulance as they're having to be taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital."

The campaigner's proposals suggest having a caesarean service at the maternity theatre at Horton will the service reductions are in place, which can be reviewed when the consultant-led unit is reinstated.

The plan calls on changing the use of several of the rooms at the Horton.

It reads: "There is an existing fully operational and functional maternity theatre at Horton negating the expense and short term upheaval of hiring and running a mobile operating theatre at the John Radcliffe as proposed in the contingency plan.

"This proposal requires no expensive costs to be incurred for the movement of equipment or any relevant lengthy stock take process, as per the contingency plan to be undertaken."

The plan also proposes to retain senior midwives trained to assist with caesareans to staff the midwife-led unit.

It added: "Maintaining the majority of the midwifery staffing and all the maternity support workers at Horton to staff maternity theatre, the unit and postnatal ward will also negate the expense to be incurred by the trust for the petrol and travel expenses of staff who have been told will need to move to the John Radcliffe Hospital, can claim.

"For some this is a forced 113-mile round trip per shift as opposed to a 70-mile round trip currently."

Paul Brennan, director of clinical services at the trust, confirmed he had received the plans to provide an elective caesarean section service for women at the Horton.

He added: "We are discussing it with clinical, and most importantly obstetric specialists, to assess its feasibility.

"Patient safety will be our over-riding concern and once we have had a chance to assess the viability of this proposal, we will publish our response on our website."

The trust hopes to reverse the temporary service changes by March 2017.

For more information visit: ouh.nhs.uk/hospitals/horton/news/default.aspx