MATERNITY bosses are confident that plans to close a ward at Queen's Park Hospital will improve the service for mums-to-be.

Ten beds at the Blackburn unit, which opened three years ago and signalled the closure of Accrington Victoria Hospital's maternity beds, could be chopped in the cost-cutting move.

The move has already attracted anger from campaigners who fought to save the Accrington unit. They predicted that the Blackburn unit would have too many beds.

The plans, which will save more than £100,000, will be put to public consultation over the coming months.

But Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust says that although the number of beds and staff costs will reduce, the service will be improved.

A report detailing the plans say the changes will "enhance the current quality of service by expanding the continuity and models of care".

The proposals will reduce the number of beds from 76 across four wards, to 66 over three wards.

The plan is to close ward B1, which has 15 designated midwifery beds and put other GP and midwifery beds on consultant-led wards.

The trust also wants to develop an antenatal day unit to reduce the numbers of women who need in-patient care during their pregnancies.

The trust also says the changes are a response to an Audit Commission report last year which expressed concern at the high cost of the maternity service in Blackburn and declining bed occupancy levels.

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