MP DAVID Chaytor took the fight to Parliament and gave a no-holds-barred speech in favour of saving services at Fairfield.

The Labour backbencher said that closing the baby care unit made no sense, was against the spirit of Government policies, and that the consultation process had been seriously flawed.

And he formally proposed that Rochdale Infirmary's maternity unit should merge with, and be based at, Fairfield to serve people in Bury, Rochdale and Rossendale, a catchment area the size of Manchester city centre.

"Fairfield is the hospital in which the vast majority of my constituents were born," he said. "I was born there. Many of my relatives were born there and have worked there, and most of my relatives have died there. We were delighted that Mrs Blair was able to re-open the new, refurbished and enhanced maternity unit just five years ago. To most members of the public, suggesting that a unit that was re-opened merely five years ago should now be closed and transferred to another hospital makes little sense."

Mr Chaytor welcomed the new primary care centres to be built in the region, and recognised the need to rationalise maternity services. "We are not arguing against the principles underlying the consultation. We are arguing against the specific choice of Fairfield hospital as one of the hospitals that will lose its maternity and paediatric in-patient services."

The Bury North MP told the Commons that the consultation process was seriously flawed. "Once the sites that should continue had been designated, criteria were established to test the validity of that choice. That puts the process the wrong way around; it puts the cart before the horse."

He claimed key information had not been included on the consultation document or website: in particular, lar how the reduced number of units would be staffed, and what the revenue and capital costs of the proposals were. Mr Chaytor reminded his colleagues that Labour had promised choice in its last election manifesto and a "patient-led NHS".

He said: "The idea of patient choice rings a little hollow if the overwhelming choice expressed about the hospital in which they wish to give birth is taken away from them. I stress the point that if we, as a Government, are serious about patient choice then it makes no sense whatsoever to take away what is an enormously popular choice for many people in my constituency and neighbouring districts."

There would be a "gaping hole" in maternity services if both Fairfield and Rochdale hospitals were deprived of these services. So Mr Chaytor proposed a "fifth option": to amalgamate Bury and Rochdale's in-patient maternity and paediatric service at Fairfield. He said it would be big enough to be viable and, as Fairfield was so close to the Rochdale border, well located.

In response, health minister Liam Byrne said Mr Chaytor had presented a powerful argument. Mr Byrne also thanked the Bury Times which had "consistently kept the debate, and the facts, in front of the local community" and said the paper was an "effective voice for local people".

He added: "In the 21st century, people want an NHS that is available not only around the clock, but around the corner. We have far more to do on moving in-patient services out of hospitals into the community."

The minister said that 24-hour in-patient services were spread thinly in Greater Manchester, which led to staffing pressures. Maternity units in the review area were closed on 90 occasions in the 12 months till March, he said, and it was important to create strong services so clinicians can develop expertise.

Mr Byrne described My Chaytor's proposals as "fresh and innovative", and said he would write to the chief executive of the Strategic Health Authority to make sure they were taken into account.

He would also look into his claims about how the criteria were drawn up. And as regards Saturday's march, he concluded: "I want to make it clear that, where there are petitions and where there is a public response of that kind, we will absolutely make sure that those voices are heard as the consultation draws to a close."

Former MP supports protest

THE campaign to save Fairfield Hospital's maternity department from closure has received backing from a former Bury MP.

Alistair Burt, who represented Bury North between 1983 and 1997, visited the special care baby unit on Tuesday with Bury councillor Bob Bibby.

Mr Burt's children were born in the hospital and he is supporting campaigners. Mr Burt is now MP for North East Bedfordshire and Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government.