CAMPAIGNERS have emphasised the fight is not over after a decision to downgrade maternity services at the Horton General Hospital was referred to the Healthy Secretary.

At a heated meeting last Thursday the 12 voting members of the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) voted unanimously to ask Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt to make the decision.

The motion, which failed in September the first time it was first put before members, was proposed by Deddington councillor Arash Fatemian and Banbury councillor Kieron Mallon.

It questions the decision by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to 'temporarily' downgrade the unit to midwife-led status due to staffing issues.

Speaking after the vote Mr Fatemian said: "I was disappointed that at the September meeting HOSC did not refer the decision to the Health Secretary.

"This was done on the understanding that the action plan put in place by the trust would result in maternity services at the Horton being reinstated as consultant-led by the beginning of March, but it is clear now that this will be not be the case.

"The people of North Oxfordshire deserve high-quality, safe, local acute healthcare, especially our mothers and babies.

"I urge the Secretary of State to refer the trust’s decision to the Independent Review Panel, whose findings helped to prevent downgrades at the Horton back in 2008."

Addressing the committee, Keith Strangwood of Keep the Horton General said: “This is the start of the next stage of the battle. "Well done, but please stick with it.”

Since October 3 mothers deemed 'high-risk' – which includes anyone wanting an epidural – have needed to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to give birth.

Between then and Wednesday, January 11, there were 52 births at the Horton midwife-led unit, with 13 women in labour transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital..

Both Banbury MP Victoria Prentis and Witney MP Robert Courts welcomed the referral of the decision to the Secretary of State.

Mrs Prentis said: "The people of North Oxfordshire have been faced with a change in service on which they had absolutely no say.

"It will be interesting to see how the decision to refer will impact the split consultation exercise which is ongoing, and about which I continue to have grave concerns.

"The fight continues, but I am confident that the Secretary of State will take this issue very seriously."

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is consulting on a raft of changes to the way the NHS is delivered in Oxfordshire.

The plans, part of a tri-county 'sustainability and transformation plan', are being consulted on in two parts.

Phase one includes a loss of 200 acute beds in the county's hospitals and the centralisation of stroke and critical care services away from the Horton, but the maternity service is only being consulted on in phase two.

Speaking at HOSC last week, Calthorpe resident and local solicitor Eddie Reeves said the plans were 'disproportionately detrimental' to Banbury.

He said: "The while thing is ill-conceived.

"By 'revisions', read 'reductions' for the people of Banbury.

"Banbury needs a fully-functioning Horton and our county needs an important strategic centre in the north, rather than rely on an increasingly impenetrable John Radcliffe."

OUH spokeswoman Susan Brown said: "We acknowledge the decision made by HOSC to refer the decision to the Secretary of State and we will be liaising with HOSC to determine the next steps in this process."