MIDWIFERY services are to be moved out of two Prestwich children’s centres amid a row over a £100-a-week payment.

Until this month, parents have been able to use Butterstile children's centre in School Grove and Sedgley children's centre in Bishops Road as one-stop shops, getting access to a range of services.

Now, Prestwich residents can only see midwives at their GP surgery or hospitals after a fall out between town hall bosses and health chiefs.

Bury Council leaders said they are so short of cash they asked health trusts to pitch in.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust (BFT) agreed to do so to keep midwifery services within the Radcliffe children's centres, but Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust (PAHT) would not pay £15.02 a week for Butterstile and £82.52 a week for Sedgley.

Local authority chiefs have been scathing in their criticism of PAHT, accusing the trust of "flatly refusing to engage" in discussions over several months.

PAHT, which has written to all service users to inform of the move, claims the payments were demanded rather than requested.

Bury Council's health representative, Cllr Andrea Simpson, said: "Moving midwifery services out of children's centres would put expectant mothers at a significant disadvantage in certain areas, especially Butterstile, as it would incur more travel for expectant mothers.

"It is also a significant benefit that pregnant women are seen in a mutually supportive environment and being in GP waiting rooms with patients who may have acute illnesses does not support this."

The council's children's representative, Cllr Paddy Heneghan, added: "Our main priority is, and always has been, ensuring mothers receive the best possible services from our children's centres.

"I am exceptionally disappointed, however, that PAHT's senior management team have failed to engage in the process of agreeing a contribution to the cost of running the children’s centres which their staff use.

"As public bodies, the council and NHS should be working together.

"The midwives do a brilliant job.

"I just hope the management of PAHT see some sense and begin properly engaging with the council so that a long-term solution can be reached.

"All public sector bodies are facing financial challenges but, unlike the council, which has lost half its budget and is due to lose more, NHS budgets have been protected.

"I find it difficult to see how Bolton NHS Foundation Trust can afford to pay the small contribution whereas PAHT cannot."

PAHT's women's and children's service divisional director Jo Keogh said: "Following the decision by Bury Council to close a number of children’s centres, we were informed that we would now be charged for use of space within the remaining centres.

"This is unusual as other councils do not charge.

"We reviewed alternative venues at that time and decided that antenatal care would be best provided by our community midwives in local GP surgeries with two clinics being provided at North Manchester General Hospital.

"Our community midwives informed women affected by the change of location as soon as our alternative arrangements were in place and were reassured that the quality of care provided by their midwife would not change.

"All pregnant women have been informed and have rescheduled appointments.

"If any of our women would like more information or to discuss this further we ask that they contact their community midwife."

She added: "We have not yet been approached by the council asking if we can re-provide services to patients in Prestwich children’s centres.

"There is, however, a meeting arranged with the council to further discuss the provision of midwifery-led antenatal care at the children’s centres."

The meeting is due to take place on Wednesday.