LOCAL people are now being asked for their views on the possible closure of the birthing centre at Romsey Hospital.

Southampton University Hospitals Trust, which runs maternity services in South-West Hampshire, has been holding discussions on the replacement of the birthing centres at Romsey, Lymington and Hythe by one at Ashurst.

And this week, when it officially launched its public consultation, it confirmed that two other options are being considered.

Those options, as suggested in The Romsey Advertiser last Friday, are for the closure of Romsey and Lymington and an enlargement of the Hythe unit; and maintaining the existing services at Hythe, Romsey and Lymington.

It has held a number of drop-in' sessions and it announced that five more are being arranged.

The five are at the Masonic Hall (Lymington) on September 5 (1pm to 8pm), St John's Hall (Hythe) on September 8 (2pm to 8pm), Leonard Cheshire Resource Centre (New Milton) on September 12 (1pm to 8pm), Crosfield Hall (Romsey) on September 15 (1pm to 8pm) and the Baptist Church, Totton on September 22 (2pm to 8pm).

In addition, Test Valley Borough Council is inviting people to air their views at a special meeting of its overview and scrutiny committee at the council chamber in Duttons Road, Romsey, on Thursday, September 7 (6.30pm).

Anyone wishing to speak should contact committee administrator Christine Hastings on 01264 368007 by September 6.

There will be representatives of SUHT at the meeting and committee chairman David Drew said: "We would be asking them to listen to our comments and concerns and answer our questions."

Health, he explained, was one of those issues where local authorities needed to be involved but did not have the power to take the decisions.

"The idea is to give members of the public an opportunity to speak and health trust representatives an opportunity to explain the position.

"Trust representatives will be making a presentation and residents will have an opportunity to hear what the proposals are and why they are being proposed.

"Councillors will be making their views known and will be asking them to clarify and justify the options."

In a statement offering members of the public the chance to make their views known, the Trust explained: "In May 2005, a review of local maternity services began after a continually rising birth rate prompted concerns over the future safety of the service.

"Across the Southampton area, the birth rate has continued to rise year on year since 2002 with a predicted rise this year of 3.3 per cent.

"Led by a group of midwives, lay people and health service managers, the review found the three stand-along birth centres at Hythe, Romsey and Lymington were being under-used, running on average at just over half capacity.

"Following feedback with families, staff and other groups, options have been drawn up to reshape the service to ensure local women will always be offered a safe labour and birth, regardless of whether they opt for a home birth, birth centre or hospital."

In describing the proposed Ashurst facility as "a centre of excellence" which was likely to have a higher occupancy rate, it added that it would "offer women the chance to give birth with the support of midwives in a home from home environment."

Karen Baker, the Trust's director of operations for women's and children's services, said: "We want to ensure women across South West Hampshire continue to benefit from high quality, safe maternity care during both labour and birth."

The Modernising Maternity Services consultation document is available from the Trust's website on www. suht.nhs.uk or by contacting its involvement office on 023 8079 6248.

Members of the public can e-mail their comments and questions to yourviewscount @suht.swest.nhs.uk or write to Dsarah Marsh, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Room E98, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, SO16 5YA