MOTHERS have criticised an NHS chief executive for failing to give categorical assurances that he will re-open a maternity unit.

In his first major interview since making the decision to close Guisborough Maternity Unit, in east Cleveland, Bill Murray told The Northern Echo he had "every intention" of re-opening the service.

But Karen Rule, who, with her supporters, has launched a campaign against the closure, said he has not gone far enough.

Mr Murray, chief executive with South Tees NHS Trust, has always stressed the closure, made because of a lack of midwives, was temporary.

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.

"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 said charity money raised by local people was in a trust midwifery fund, that mothers wishing to have home births would still receive support, and that £50,000 recently spent on refurbishing the unit could not have helped keep it open.

Mrs Rule, of Guisborough, who organised the petition and is one of an estimated 3,000 who have signed to protest at the closure, 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.

She said: "They're obviously not going to be pushed into a corner. 'Every intention' is not exactly the same as saying 'definitely'.