LUDLOW’S own ‘mums’ army’ is on the march in a bid to secure the future of the maternity unit at the town’s community hospital.

A group of mothers from the town will lead a march in support of the maternity unit.

Alison Hiles, aged 37, a mother of two young boys and expecting a third baby next May is one of the organisers of the march.

“I was shocked when I heard from a member of the family that the maternity unit at Ludlow Hospital was closed,” said Alison.

“My immediate thought was how is this going to affect me when I have my baby next May. I mulled it over and decided that we had to do something about it."

She set up a page on social media that attracted more than 800 members in a few hours and now has more than 2,000.

Alison Hiles believes that keeping a maternity unit open in Ludlow is vital and she does not think that it matters that it is not in a modern building.

“For a pregnant woman in labour, the prospect of a drive to Shrewsbury, Telford or Hereford is frightening,” said Alison.

“When I was expecting one of my babies, I had four or five contractions in the short journey from my home in Ludlow to the maternity unit in the town.

“Women want somewhere close to home where they have people whom they know and trust and who care.

“The staff at the Ludlow maternity unit are excellent and help with things like breast-feeding, bathing a baby and putting on nappies. These may seem to be small things but are important concerns, especially for a first-time mum.”

She said that the building is not the most important thing.

“We know that the Ludlow maternity unit was in an old building and it could and should have been moved to one of the empty wards sooner,” added Alison Hiles.

“But it is not the building that is the most important thing but the level of care.

“I believe that the unit was reopened so quickly because of the strength of feeling and think that, had this not happened, it could have remained closed.

“We also know that having a maternity unit is important to the viability of Ludlow Hospital.”

Health chiefs face having to save £1.5 million in maternity services in Shropshire.

Simon Wright, chief executive of the Shropshire and Telford NHS Trust, said that the number of births a year at the maternity unit in Ludlow is about 40 and needs to be around 100.

He said that 50 per cent of pregnant women in Ludlow choose to give birth in Hereford rather than in the town out of a preference rather than for medical reasons.

The midwifery-led unit in Ludlow is for women predicted to have straight-forward births. More complex cases are directed to a consultant-led unit in Telford.

It has been claimed that some women may choose to have induced births in Telford if the Ludlow Maternity Unit closes.

The march for the maternity unit on Saturday, December 3 will leave the Cannon outside Ludlow Castle at 12noon and finish at Ludlow Hospital.

“We want as many people as possible so bring babies, bumps and granny,” said Alison Hiles.