FAMILIES have been urged to join the “final battle” to save Oswestry’s midwife-led unit (MLU).

Liz Grayston, who set up the Save Oswestry MLU campaign on Facebook, spoke after health chiefs launched proposals that would see the facility moved to Whitchurch.

Hundreds of people have supported events in support of the MLU in the past two years, including marching through the town and a park protest.

“We’ve has some success along the years and I have always said that we have not won the war yet,” Mrs Grayston said.

“This is the climax if you like – the consultation will be the final battle.”

Mrs Grayston questioned the projected travel times to other units that are included in the plan.

The mother-of-four urged mothers and families to “come forward as a collective” in support of the Oswestry MLU now and when a public consultation begins.

Mrs Grayston said she is keen to avoid an “Oswestry versus Whitchurch, North versus South Shropshire fight”.

Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) saythe data suggests there should be five hubs in Shrewsbury, Telford, Ludlow, Lakeside South and Whitchurch with only three per cent of women giving birth at Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Oswestry.

A CCG spokesman said the locations were not final and feedback from ongoing engagement would “continue to shape any final proposals taken forward to public consultation”.

More than 60 men, women and children attended a meeting last Wednesday to discuss the future of Shropshire’s MLUs.

GP, Dr Jess Sokolov, clinical lead for the MLU Review and deputy clinical chairman of Shropshire CCG said: “We know from staff and the data that where there is low activity we often have too many staff, and where we have high activity, we need more. That means that we aren’t offering the best experience we can for ladies and their families around the county so we need to look at the changes we need to make.”

Councillor Paul Milner has voiced his sadness at proposals to close Oswestry's midwife-led unit (MLU).

"I would urge as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and show how important it is to Oswestry that the midwife-led unit remains where it is," he said.

Cllr Milner raised his fears over the state of healthcare in the town and surrounding area at the latest Oswestry Town Council meeting.

After the meeting, he said: "It's sad that more and more local health services seem to be ebbing away and I think Oswestry in general deserves to have local health care."