THE fight to save Malmesbury Maternity Unit was given a boost with figures that reveal birth rates have gone up 50 per cent this year.

Campaign group Save Malmesbury Maternity Unit said the award-winning unit was on track to have at least 144 births by the end of the year, which would be a significant increase on the 110 babies born there last year.

Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust said it could save up to £318,000 by closing the Devizes and Malmesbury units.

There were 48 births at the unit up to the end of April, and to date there have been a further five.

Campaigner Sarah Newman said if the rate continued until the end of the year it would justify the cost of running the unit. "If the birth rate continues the trust won't be making the same decision. If the campaign has had an effect then that is wonderful," she said.

"I am really pleased. I think we now have a really good chance of getting the trust to change its mind."

She added: "Part of it is that last year's figures were particularly low, which could be because women ended up having to go to bigger hospitals.

"This year many women's deliveries have been straight forward, but it is possible the campaign has had an effect on the number of women electing to use the unit."

She said midwives were being hard pressed to cope because of a staffing shortage. "We have very real concerns with staffing levels, they are very, very tight.

"In effect there has been a recruitment freeze since the beginning of last year. When midwives leave they are not being replaced.

"They feel they have to keep working to keep the service together and they fear it will close through the back door."

West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, which runs the maternity services, said it was trying to recruit more staff.

Communications manager Debbie Pugh-Jones said: "The PCT is actively recruiting to fill midwives posts which become vacant. We are advertising in the national trade press.

"We can't say how many we will be taking about, it depends on how many vacancies there are at the time of the interviews.

"At present, compared to the end of 2002, we are one and a half midwives down at Malmesbury, and we intend to recruit into these vacancies as soon as we can."

The Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT decided to extend public consultation for five weeks until May 31 after an outcry over the way it was conducted.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray branded it a disgrace when details of the cost savings the trust said it would achieve from the merger, were not published for two months after the consultation started.

The final decision on the future of the maternity units will be made at the trust's board meeting on June 22.

A report by maternity consultant Dr Susan Tyler, which was published by Wiltshire County Council, said the proposals made no positive contribution to health improvement and would reduce choice for women.