Saturday 18 February 2017

Maternity Units Across England Facing An Axe Under Plans To Transform NHS Care

NHS

Eleven maternity and neonatal units across England are reportedly facing either being axed or merged under plans to transform obstetrics care in the NHS .

Proposals to remodel the health service in order to plug a £22 billion hole by 2021 reveals major changes across toe maternity services.

Now hospitals in Lancashire and South Cumbria, West Yorkshire and Harrogate, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, Birmingham and Solihull, Milton Keynes, Dorset, Coventry and Warwickshire are being marked to shut or to move substantial distances.

A week ago the Royal College of Midwives’ annual report said maternity services across Britain could already reach “crisis point”, as more than a third of midwives are nearing retirement age.

The report said that more student midwives are needed to be trained as a “matter of urgency”.

The PM came under fire after FOUR times refusing to say whether she opposed the proposed transfer of consultant-led maternity services at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, some 40 miles away.

Theresa May was visiting a primary school on a campaigning trip to the Copeland constituency ahead of next week’s by election.

The Tory by-election candidate, Trudy Harrison, gave birth to her four daughters in Whitehaven and is against the plans.

Asked if she opposed the plans, Mrs May said: “Trudy Harrison does indeed know the importance of these services. She is opposed to the downgrading of these services.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Patients should be reassured that we are actively ensuring we continue to have enough midwives in the NHS — already there are over 2,100 more since 2010, with 6,300 more in training.

“The way we model midwife training places actually takes into account projected retirement rates. We have also invested millions of pounds in staff training and new equipment to help the NHS become one of the safest places in the world to have a baby.”


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