HEALTH chiefs have hit out at plans to cut maternity services at their local hospital.

Banbury’s Horton Hospital would no longer have doctor-led births if training leaders remove most trainee doctor posts at the hospital’s maternity unit.

Mums would have to go to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital if there were any complications.

Now a health group has urged consultant chiefs to reconsider, with the backing of NHS Oxfordshire, which decides where NHS cash is spent, and GPs.

Sumit Biswas, chairman of the Better Healthcare Programme Board, said the move would have a “damaging impact”.

He told the Oxford Deanery, which oversees the training of doctors in the area, in a letter: “The recommendation concentrates the losses at the Horton and does not share the impact across the other hospitals in the area.

“You will be well aware of the impact this will have on the plans for sustaining services at the Horton.”

The deanery, which was unavailable for comment last night, wants to cut trainee maternity doctors from six to one from August 2012.

It says there are not enough births to justify six posts.

A midwife-led service could be kept at the Horton, but it would mean many mums would have to go to other hospitals if, for example, they needed a caesarian.