MOTHERS have criticised an NHS chief executive for failing to give categorical assurances Guisborough Maternity Unit will reopen.

In his first major interview since making the decision to close, South Tees NHS Trust chief executive Bill Murray said he had 'every intention' of re-opening the service.

But Guisborough mother Karen Rule, who with her friends has launched a massive campaign against the closure, said he had not gone far enough.

Mr Murray has always stressed the closure was temporary and caused by a lack of midwives. The Advertiser consulted campaigners to compile a set of written questions for Mr Murray.

When asked if he could give categorical assurances the centre would reopen and give a date for when, he said: "The Trust has every intention to re-open the unit but we could not delay the decision to temporarily close it any longer for clinical safety reasons.

"When it will re-open is heavily based on the Trust's success in recruiting and retaining midwives."

Asked why the trust did not give more notice to expectant mums - they were informed 15 days before closure - he said: "We would have liked to give more notice but had to make the decision on clinical safety reasons. If staff intend to leave, they only have to give one month's notice."

Mr Murray gave assurances that there had been many efforts to recruit more midwives, that charity money raised by local people was in a trust midwifery fund, that mothers wanting home births would still receive support, and that £50,000 recently spent on refurbishing the unit could not have helped to keep it open.

Mrs Rule, organiser of a petition signed by an estimated 3,000 people, said she now believed the trust would re-open the unit because of the strength of public feeling. However she thought Mr Murray had fallen short of giving a categorical assurance.