MIDWIVES claim their views about the future of the Helme Chase Maternity Unit are not being heard.

Now the midwives are preparing to take a stand with a campaigning march, which they hope others will join.

All supporters of the Kendal unit, parents with prams, buggies and children, and grandparents, are being urged by the midwives to join their march through the town next Saturday, January 13.

"Please support us because frankly, if you don't, we are sunk," said Royal College of Midwives spokeswoman Audrey Hawkes.

"Morale varies from person to person.

I'm really quite optimistic but there's a lot of low morale among the staff because we don't feel our voice is being heard.

"We are not being listened to as the people who do the main job here."

The future of the Kendal unit is currently subject to a consultation exercise being run by Morecambe Bay Health Authority.

One of the three options is to close Helme Chase, although chiefs at the health authority, and Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust, say their preferred option is to change the unit to a midwifery-led service.

The inclusion of a closure option sparked anger, and more than 2,000 people have signed a "save Helme Chase" petition organised by Kendal mother Nicola Kaye, and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Collins.

Midwives also want planned Caesarean sections and induced births to continue at Helme Chase.

They claim that the projected number of 360 births at the unit each year, put forward in the consultation, indicates that these births would not take place at Kendal under the midwifery-led service.

This could ultimately make the unit unviable, they fear.

Tim Collins MP was due to meet RCM representatives today (Friday).

He is also to raise Helme Chase at a meeting with chief executive of the hospitals trust Ian Cumming at the House of Commons on Monday.

Mr Collins is sending the petition form to every home in the constituency with his latest Westminster Report.

The Liberal Democrat spokesman for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron, is also sending each home his own petition.

l The march will set off from Kendal Parish Church car park at 10.30am on Saturday, January 13.

l A public meeting organised by the health watchdog South Cumbria Community Health Council takes place at Stricklandgate House, in Kendal, next Friday, January 12, at 6.30pm.