A HOSPITAL shake-up could see the maternity service at Basingstoke hospital becoming either consultant-led or “downgraded” to a midwife-led unit.

Sarah Ponsford, associate director of communications and corporate affairs at West Hants Clinical Care Commissioning Group, said the proposal is one of several “options” being considered.

Health chiefs are currently consulting the public on centralising some services, including consultant-led maternity care and serious emergencies such as heart attacks and major trauma.

Bosses at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Basingstoke hospital, The Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, and Andover War Memorial Hospital, argue changes are needed to keep services safe and affordable.

Ms Ponsford made her comments at a meeting of Hampshire Maternity Services Liaison Committee (HMSLC) which includes senior midwives, breastfeeding counsellors, service users and other NHS managers.

But, according to the minutes of the meeting, Caroline Brunt, associate director of midwifery at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said she had not been involved in discussions about locating consultant-led maternity services at either the Basingstoke or Winchester site.

Now Mindy Noble, a breastfeeding counsellor and chairman of HMSLC, has called for health chiefs to clarify all the options being considered.

She said: “I personally believe women in both Winchester and Basingstoke would prefer to keep the full range of maternity services at their local hospital.”

Councillor Jackie Porter, Liberal Democrat opposition spokesman for children’s services, slammed proposals for consultant-led maternity care at either Basingstoke or Winchester as “not a viable option.”

Cllr Porter said it was too far for women in labour to go from one hospital to the other in the event of an emergency.

The mother-of-two said: “Vital minutes lost in childbirth can bring about disastrous results. None of us knows when the services of an obstetrics team could be needed.”

Cllr Porter said it would be better value for money to centralise other services such as heart surgery and hip replacements.

Bosses at HHFT are planning a new critical care hospital between Basingstoke and Winchester for blue-light emergencies such as major trauma, heart attacks, strokes, specialist baby care and possibly consultant-led maternity care.

Under that proposal, both Basingstoke and Winchester would be left with a midwife-led unit for natural births only, plus a walk-in A&E unit for broken bones, cuts and other minor injuries.

At present, about 3,000 women per year give birth at each of Basingstoke and Winchester hospitals. Both sites each have the full range of obstetricians, paediatricians, anaesthetists and midwives.

In a statement, Jane Hogg, programme director at HHFT, said: “To continue to deliver safe, sustainable services, clinical evidence shows that some aspects of some services need to be centralised – that is, located together in one place.

“HHFT and its commissioners are asking people what’s important to them about hospital services, including those elements that need to be centralised.

“It is recognised people will have different views about where centralised aspects of services should be located. These views will help shape the proposals which will include possible options.

“These options will be put to the public for formal consultation early next year but have not yet been agreed.”