OXFORDSHIRE'S biggest health trust has moved to reassure women who were expecting to give birth at the Horton General Hospital ahead of next week's changes.

From Monday, October 3 the Banbury hospital will be temporarily operating a midwife-led service meant only for women whose pregnancies are deemed low-risk.

Expectant women whose pregnancies are deemed high-risk will need to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to give birth.

From Saturday, October 1 the unit will stop taking high-risk pregnant women so that their continued care can be ensured after Monday if they need to stay in hospital.

In a statement released yesterday Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We do understand that this could be unsettling for pregnant women in the Banbury area who were expecting to give birth at an obstetric-led unit at the Horton and would like to reassure them of the safe options for giving birth available.

"It is important to emphasise that every pregnancy has different circumstances which need to be taken into account when deciding where to give birth.

"Our clinicians strongly recommend that each woman discusses her plans with their midwife, GP or obstetrician (if they have one) around their specific options.

"All women who were booked into the Horton have been written to with this recommendation."

Other options for women due to give birth include the midwifery-led unit at Chipping Norton, the Spires midwifery-led unit at the JR, home birth, or the maternity units in neighbouring counties such as Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.

Drop-in advice sessions will be held at the Horton at the start of next week for anyone with specific queries they would like to raise.

They will take place from 2pm to 4pm on Monday and from 10am to 12pm on Wednesday.