A health board has confirmed it will keep maternity services on a regional daily’s patch after a campaign by the newspaper.

As previously reported on HTFP, Betsi Cadwaladr health board had planned to remove doctor-led maternity care at one of the major hospitals in North Wales.

However, the Daily Post pressured the Welsh government to intervene and 15,000 readers signed a petition against the plans.

The proposals would have meant some pregnant mothers having to travel to England for obstetrics care.

The Post’s front page from July after the health board’s decision not to contest a judicial review

The plans had been set for a judicial review, but the health board said in June it would not contest a judicial review and would instead launch a public consultation into the proposals.

Following the consultation, it has now been confirmed the plans will not go ahead.

In a piece on the U-turn, Post deputy editor Andy Gilpin wrote: “No one thought it was a good idea. Not mothers, not politicians, not the public and not the staff who worked tirelessly to deliver our next generation at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

“And you can take the credit for it. You always kept the pressure up.

“From the start the public out-pouring against the plan was emotive and instant. From a Facebook group that attracted thousands of members in just one night, to a protest rally in Rhyl that really showed the true strength of feeling.

“You clocked straight away that the decision which would have forced mothers to be ferried 50 miles away to either Ysbyty Gwynedd or Wrexham Maelor in their hour of need was bonkers.

“All we had to do was channel your views. You helped push for a judicial review which stopped the decision dead.

“And your strength of feeling has forced the Labour government’s hand to pressure Betsi to finally see sense. This is indeed a victory for people power. You can all feel rightly proud of yourselves.”