CONCERN is mounting at the withdrawal of two consultant outpatient clinics for women at Devizes Hospital.

At a meeting of Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust on Tuesday the board was told by residents in the public gallery that an obstetric clinic provided by a consultant from the Royal United Hospital, Bath, was being withdrawn and a gynaecology clinic provided by a consultant from the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, was to cease.

Devizes midwife Linda Barnes said: "We have it in writing from a consultant from the Royal United Hospital that her outpatient consultant obstetric clinic is going to stop at Devizes Hospital."

Phil Day, director of strategic service change at the trust, said he did not know that the obstetric clinic, run by Diana Dunlop for pregnant women, was being withdrawn.

Miss Dunlop holds two clinics once a month on the same day in Devizes. The obstetric clinic is held in the morning and she holds a gynaecology clinic in the afternoon.

The Royal United Hospital said the gynaecology clinic only would continue.

The withdrawal of the obstetric clinic is a surprise because even under the proposals by the primary care trust to remove birthing and inpatient post natal care beds from Devizes Maternity Unit, the obstetric clinics were to continue.

Mayor Margaret Taylor, who is chairman of DASH2 (Devizes Action to Save Our Hospital) was alarmed to hear of the withdrawal of the clinic.

She said: "Decisions are being made piecemeal and reducing clinics at Devizes is a death knell for the hospital."

A spokeswoman for Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust said: "The consultant who has been covering the obstetric clinic at Devizes is no longer able to do it. The trust will liaise with the clinical director for gynaecology at the Royal United Hospital to see if the situation can be resolved."

Viv Laing, the practice manager at Southbroom Surgery in Devizes, said she understood that a gynaecology clinic provided at Devizes Hospital by consultant John Cullimore from Swindon's Great Western Hospital was due to end.

Dr Jonathan Miller, chairman of Devizes GP committee, said they had been informed about the removal of both clinics.

Dr Miller said: "I don't know why Miss Dunlop's clinic is to end and I hope someone else will be able to provide it. Mr Cullimore's clinic is to be stopped because of the new contract being brought in for consultants which means he does not have the time to come to Devizes. It is not in his hands. He is given his timetable. I will be writing to the chief executive to ask ask if there are plans to restore the clinic."