The Baglan maternity unit has been unable to find enough medical staff

Recommendations have been made to develop a midwife-led birth centre, without consultants and doctors, at Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Baglan.

The �64m hospital, which opened last November, has had to temporarily close its maternity unit a number of times because it has been unable to recruit enough medical staff.

Opponents of the idea held a protest march in October, claiming the switch would mean many mothers would have to travel to Swansea or Bridgend to give birth.

Before I accept this advice, I want to have a full discussion with the local health board on the questions that we as a council have asked Noel Crowley

A review group set up by Neath Port Talbot Local Health Board - which replaced the health authority for the area - has recommended the downgrading move for the hospital which was built under a private-finance scheme.

At a meeting on Friday, it concluded "the current service could not realistically be sustained and the development of a mid-wife led birth centre would be the best way forward for women and babies in Neath Port Talbot."

But Noel Crowley, who leads Neath Port Talbot council, said it is unacceptable for a new hospital, which offers first-class facilities in all other services, to be able to offer only a second-class maternity service.

Around 100 people protested in October at the downgrading plans

On Saturday, he told BBC Wales the local authority wants to know why consultants in the maternity units at Singleton Hospital in Swansea and Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend cannot be used to cover the hospital at Baglan.

He said: "I can understand the position that the review group is in but there is spare capacity in Swansea and there is spare capacity in Bridgend so why can't these consultants be better used to service this hospital?

"Who has looked into the situation of the undercapacity in the hospitals either side of us.

"Over 3,000 births used to take place in Singleton, they are now down to 2,200. What's happened to all these consultants? Why can't they be better used to service this hospital?

"Before I accept this advice, I want to have a full discussion with the local health board on the questions that we as a council have asked.

"If they can satisfy the questions, about capacity and various other issues, then, of course, a safe service is what we want."

'Not sustainable'

Katie Norman, chief executive of the local health board, defended the review group's recommendation.

She said: "The trust concerned had been working extemely hard over the last few months to sustain the service but there have been a number of occasions where medical staff have not been available and the unit has had to close at short notice.

"I think that the review group feels that is not a sustainable position and because of changes to work forces in the future, particularly of medical staff, the review group concluded that that position is unlikely to change."