MORE than 400 people crammed into Bury Town Hall on Monday (Sept 13) to voice their anger at proposals to shut Fairfield Hospital 's special care baby unit.

There was standing room only in the Elizabethan Suite as Fairfield Baby Lifeline Society officially launched a campaign to retain the hospital's services for mothers and children.

Under controversial proposals put forward by the Children's and Young People's Network, Fairfield Hospital could lose its special care baby unit, and maternity services would be cut to a midwife-led unit.

Mums and babies requiring specialist care would be transferred to other hospitals. Children would no longer be kept at Fairfield overnight.

But there would be an increase in children's day surgery; money would be invested in community-based children's services; and a children's observation and assessment service linked to A and Ewould be set up.

Chairman of the lifeline society, Dr Said Hany, said: "We are not against modernisation, but why has Bury been singled out? I was told that we could not argue against the proposals on emotional grounds.

"I am not emotional, but passionate about Bury. The public have been extremely generous in donating money to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the special care baby unit."

He added: "There is a time to stand up and be counted. This is the time to say 'no' to the proposals."

A protest march through Bury has been scheduled for October 16.