Mothers, midwives and residents expressed anger at proposals to close Devizes Maternity Unit at a public meeting yesterday in the Corn Exchange, Devizes.

If the proposals go ahead women would be transferred to Trowbridge or Chippenham maternity units to give birth and for post natal inpatient stays, leaving a day time ante natal clinic in Devizes during the week.

The proposals by the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust. are part of its plans to save £10 million. The trust says the unit is costly and under used.

Retired Devizes resident Brian Tigwell, whose grandson was born at the Devizes unit, said: "Devizes is an excellent unit and yet it's going to be destroyed.

"There are hundreds if not thousands of new houses being built in Devizes in the next few years and it's obvious that the maternity unit is going to be used more, not less."

Devizes midwife Helen Beeston, who is on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child, said: "What you are proposing is degrading the maternity services on offer in Devizes. It feels the whole system is being raped.

"Most ladies who deliver at Devizes will not go to Trowbridge or Chippenham, instead they will go to a consultant led maternity unit which will subject them to probable intervention which will add to the cost."

Roger Davey, of the Wiltshire branch of health union Unison, spoke on behalf of maternity unit staff and said: "The staff are shocked, disgusted and upset about this proposed closure

"The unit has won a global award, down to the staff's dedication and commitment. The staff would like a non-executive director of the PCT and everybody making the decision on the unit's future to visit the unit."

Dr Barney Williams, the Chippenham GP who is battling with the PCT to resume practising as an NHS doctor, said: "GPs have not been promoting the midwife led units as much as they should but they are extremely safe units and the costs would come down if more women used them."

DASH2 (Devizes Action to Save Our Hospital) has organised a public meeting at which Devizes MP Michael

Ancram will be present, on March 13, at 3pm, at The Bear in Devizes.