A campaigner has slammed a watchdog's decision which will see some maternity services moving away from mothers-to-be in Rossendale.

Last week the announce-ment of two major NHS reviews - Healthy Futures and Making It Better - dealt a double blow to patients in the Valley.

The plans involve the accident and emergency department at Rochdale Infirmary being down-graded by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

And maternity services at Rochdale and Fairfield General Hospital at Bury will be removed in favour of neonatal super sites in North Manchester, Oldham and Bolton.

Jake Berry, the Conservative's prospective parliamentary candidate for Rossendale and Darwen, has severely criticised the two decisions, rubber-stamped by health watchdog the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP).

He said: "This report highlights the fact that the new location of maternity services for people in Rossendale is a transport nightmare. It's no use the panel suggesting improved public transport links for people from the Valley - that's just shifting the problem to another Government department.

"This report is a cop-out. Even the suggestion that stand-alone' midwife-led care units should be explored makes no mention of Rossendale - an area that has long been promised such a unit."

Coun Gladys Sandiford, a Rossendale councillor and former midwife, hopes that the IRP's decisions can only strengthen local arguments for a maternity unit as part of the new health hub, which is being promised for the borough.

Mr Berry added: "The report adds, tucked away on page 47 that It was always going to be the case that not everyone would agree with the outcome of a strategic review'.

"Having read this report, I believe the IRP would be hard pressed to find anyone in Rossendale who agrees with these recommendations.

"Rossendale people are fed up having to travel for miles to access the kind of NHS services this Government promised but failed to deliver."

Tory health chiefs are angry that the Government has advocated major reorgan- isation in the NHS, but health chiefs regionally are convinced the cutbacks will benefit patients.

But, Dr Ruth Jameson, medical director for Pennine Acute Hospitals, said: "The decision is good news.

"We will be able to move forward and provide patients with centres of excellence giving safe and clinically sustainable services.

"Currently, many services are stretched across four hospitals.

"Now we will be able to give access to specialist care, 24 hours a day."