Maternity beds will reopen at Oswestry’s Orthopaedic Hospital by November, health chiefs have pledged. The news was announced at a public meeting last night.

The beds were closed last month after the old maternity unit was said to represent a fire risk.

The plan will see a new, six bed maternity ward built in the day hospital at the Orthopaedic Hospital.

About £500,000 funding from NHS West Midlands will cover the capital costs of the unit, which hospital bosses pledged will be open by November.In the meantime outpatient maternity services will continue at the hospital.

The proposal has been put together by Shropshire Primary Care Trust, the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals and NHS West Midlands.

Other health partners will share the running costs.

The diagnostic and assessment services will move from the day hospital and will be provided alongside the minor injuries unit, which will secure the latter’s seven-day-a-week opening.

Jo Chambers, chief executive of Shropshire Primary Care Trust, apologised on behalf of the health service for the closure of the maternity unit, particularly for the anxiety felt by mothers-to-be and midwifery staff.

She added: “This solution has enabled exciting, further developments to take place.”

David Lloyd, leader of Oswestry Borough Council, which has led the fight for better health services, said: “Funding has been cleared for the health centre and maternity beds will reopen. We must make this work for Oswestry buy using these wonderful services.”