A Bridlington campaigner says an influential body's decision to back the closure of the town's maternity ward is “another nail” in the hospital's coffin.

The Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust wants to shut the unit at Bridlington Hospital in favour of a consultant-led maternity service at Scarborough.

Residents have campaigned to maintain the service, but the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), the independent expert on NHS service changes, said retaining the unit at Bridlington was not sustainable.

Save Bridlington Hospital's Mick Pilling is saddened by the report.

He said: “It is very disappointing and it is another nail in the coffin of Bridlington Hospital.

“The trust talks about only 30 babies being born at Bridlington, but that's only because they have eroded the service so much.

“Bit by bit they have moved services to Scarborough and the claims they are making don't add up.”

In its report, the IRP supports the proposal to develop the unit on the Scarborough site, with the other three units continuing to provide ante-natal and post-natal services and support women who choose to have a home birth.

Trust chief nurse Teresa Fenech has welcomed the report.

She said: “We recognise there are concerns and would like to offer our assurances that mothers and babies will still be able to get top-class ante-natal and post-natal support in Bridlington, Malton and Whitby.

“Midwife-led births will take place at these hospitals until the Scarborough unit is fully operational early next year.”

Secretary of State and Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson has accepted the recommendations and the trust will now consider these in detail with the local primary care trusts.