Morthers-to-be have had to travel to Middlesbrough to give birth

Plans to re-open a maternity unit closed because of a staff shortage have come closer to fruition following a recruitment drive.

The ward at Guisborough General Hospital, in Teesside, closed in November 2002 because it could not recruit enough midwives.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust says it has had a successful drive to find more staff, with 10 midwives joining in the last six months.

However there are still five vacancies and three existing midwives are set to retire this year.

Maternity services manager Fran Toller said she is pleased with the progress of the recruitment but said she still could not give a date for when the unit might re-open.

Clearer indication

She said there was a real possibility that they would recruit the rest of the midwives this year.

Ms Toller said: "We have recruited 10 midwives in six months which is much better than I anticipated.

"If we can maintain that momentum then hopefully within the near future we will be able to start to give people some clearer indication.

"But at this precise moment we can't do that."

While the unit has been closed, mothers-to-be have had to travel 25 minutes away to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.