THE future of a hospital's maternity unit will be discussed at three public meetings.

Following the call for serious debate regarding the future of Guisborough's maternity unit, Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust (PCT) has arranged the meetings to gauge local opinion.

The trust, concerned about the low usage of the unit at Guisborough Primary Care Hospital, announced the following dates for meetings:

Wednesday, July 20, 6.30pm to 8pm; Monday, August 8, 3pm to 4.30pm; Tuesday, September 20, 6.30pm to 8pm.

All the meetings will take place at Guisborough Education and Development Centre, Wilton Lane, Guisborough.

The maternity unit faced an uncertain future in 2003, but campaigns by staff, mothers-to-be and residents saved the unit.

Jon Chadwick, chief executive of Langbaurgh PCT, who will be chairing the meetings, said: "We hope to hear from all interested parties, especially those who campaigned over the unit's future in 2003.

"In fact, ahead of the open roundtable discussions, we would like those who spoke up at the previous public meetings to contact us, so that we can to work together in a bid to move this matter forward."

Speakers at the evening meetings will include local GPs as well the divisional manager for women's and children's services at South Tees Hospitals Trust, Fran Toller, and chief of services and consultant obstetrician Stewart Hutchison, or one of his colleagues, from James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.