Health bosses have delivered a fatal blow to the campaign to save the birthing unit at Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

The Primary Care Trusts Cluster Board today backed the "preferred" option of the group set up to review maternity services in east Kent, which recommended permanent closures at Canterbury and Dover.

At the meeting in Tonbridge, board members heard the review was necessary because of the rising birth rate and evidence which showed, prior to its temporary closure, that fewer women were choosing to give birth at the K&C.

Members were assured the recommendation was the safest option for expectant mothers, providing them with the best birth experience and most support at either Ashford's William Harvey Hospital or a new unit planned for the QEQM hospital in Margate.

The board backed the option despite a wide-ranging public consultation showing marginally most support for keeping Canterbury open.

It was also claimed journey times to either Ashford and Canterbury were not an issue because full ante and postnatal services would continue at the K&C.

Community teams will continue to be based at maternity centres in Dover and Canterbury providing access to all the current day and community services.

This includes midwife and consultant-led clinics, parent education classes, postnatal breastfeeding help and advice.

Dr Sarah Mongomery who chaired the review group, said the review had been "rigorous and comprehensive" and the group's recommendation was backed by many health professionals.

On the question of journey times, she said: "The important journey is the one that women prepare for when going into labour. We didn't get the impression from mothers that it was major concern.

"In fact, what surprised us was that mothers were more concerned about postnatal care."

Kent and Canterbury Hospital

After the meeting she added: "We listened carefully to what people told us and it was clear that everyone agreed there needed to be change.

"They also agreed the Margate unit should open and mothers like the choice of having a maternity-led unit so they can enjoy the benefits of a natural, calm home-like birth with the reassurance of rapid access to doctors.

"In making our decision, we could not compromise on our guarantee to provide one-to-one midwife care."

When questioned by the board, Dr Mongomery denied the recommendation, which was also the cheapest to adopt, had been influenced by cost.

She said the overriding factors were safety, quality of care, choice, fairness and sustainability.

Head of midwifery for the East Kent Hospitals Foundation Trust Lindsey Stevens said the plan was to invest £700,000 over the next year recruiting 30 more midwives to ensure one-to-one care for all mothers.

She added: "We heard that parents recognised midwives were under pressure and could not always give the levels of post natal support a woman needs.

"We are intruducing a number of improvements including a better helpline staffed by midwives and plans to allow partners to stay fir 24 hours in post natal wards."

But Dr Jim Appleyard from pressure group Concern for Health in East Kent (CHEK) who attended the meeting, described the board's decision as "disappointing".

Afterwards he said: "The review did not place enough weight on the care being organised locally and the mothers benefitting from knowing their local midwives.

"The fact remains that Canterbury in the centre of east Kent and the acute maternity unit should never have been closed."

The board's decision now goes to the Kent County Council's health overview and scrutiny committee, which could technically reject it and refer it to the Secretary of State.

But having worked with the review group on the consultation, it is not expected to.