HEALTH bosses last night appeared to do a U-turn on the immediate closure of one of three threatened birthing centres in Hampshire.

After the Daily Echo revealed that there would be a five month gap between the closing of centres at Hythe, Romsey and Lymington, health bosses yesterday afternoon said they would allow one centre to stay open after all.

Hythe Birthing Centre, which was earmarked for closure along with Lymington and Romsey at the end of the year, will now stay open until the new centre at Ashurst is completed.

On Tuesday health chiefs repeatedly confirmed to the Daily Echo that all three centres would close and arangements for mums-to-be until the new centre opened were under review.

However, yesterday after the paper revealed the cover gap the Echo was contacted by health chiefs who confirmed they were keeping Hythe open after all.

In a statement it was claimed Hythe had always been the favoured option, but health chiefs did not explain why this was not revealed earlier or when given the opportunity by the Daily Echo on Tuesday.

The news will come as some relief to couples expecting a child early in the new year.

Zoe Stace, 31, and her 40-year-old husband Lee, from Hordle, were looking forward to their first baby being born at Lymington Birthing Centre. The baby is due on December 22 and Zoe will now be given the choice of having her child in Hythe.

She told the Daily Echo: "This is my first baby. I was hoping to have it at Lymington, providing it was a normal delivery, because the service is more personal and the midwives there are really nice.

"Now they are closing the centre around the time I am due. I was hoping it would stay open until the new centre in Ashurst is ready.

Helen Wood, 35, and her husband Christian, 34, from Bashley, are in the same situation. They planned to use Lymington but have not been given any alternative. She is now considering a home birth.

Helen said: "I have only just been told that it will close next month and Ashurst will also not be available. I don't know where I will be having this baby because nobody really knows what is going on.

"I have not been offered anything since it has been announced that Lymington is closing. I am worried because there is complete uncertainty about where I will give birth and I really don't want to give birth in a hospital as that is not the experience I want.

"I can't understand why somebody would take three birth centres away and leave lots of expectant mothers in absolute limbo. They are taking away our choice."

Karen Baker, director of operations for women and children's services at SUHT, said: "We can now be confident that the eight-bed birth centre in Hythe can cater for all families intending to give birth in a standalone birth centre between the new year and May 2007.

"The next step for us is to agree with Hampshire Primary Care Trust, and with our staff, a suitable closure date for the birth centres in Romsey and Lymington.

"Unfortunately, we can't afford to wait until May to close these centres because the birth rate continues to rise and, for safety reasons, we must increase our staffing levels at the Princess Anne Hospital as quickly as possible. We anticipate that the likely closure date will be December 27.

"Obviously this is a difficult time for expectant mums who have already told us they would prefer to give birth in these centres next year.

"I would like to reassure these families they can choose either a home birth, the birth centre at the Princess Anne or the centre at Hythe. Antenatal and postnatal services offered by local midwives will stay in place."