Maternity services investigated

A long-awaited survey into maternity services in Wiltshire has begun.

Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust (Kennet PCT) are inviting all woman who had a baby in the year since 1 April 2002 to participate.

A team affiliated to the University of Bath will oversee the survey and analyse the results.

The findings will feed into a more geographically wide-ranging study being conducted by the West Wiltshire PCT.

Data protection

Maternity services in the region are under such scrutiny following the Kennet PCT's suggestion earlier this year that it may have to close maternity units in Devizes and Malmesbury.

Barbara Smith, chief executive at the Kennet PCT, said: "I am delighted that we have launched this important piece of work at last.

"It took us a long time to find our way through the data protection rules to find a legal way to approach recent mothers.

"We want to hear what mothers think about maternity services, and in particular we want to know about where women would prefer to deliver their babies."