16
Jul 2014
Maternity closures brought about through staff and bed shortages
Many maternity units have had to close in England in the last 12 months, the most common reason being due to lack of beds or shortage of staff, with 51% of 121 respondents temporarily closing units in 2013.
Dr Dan Poulter, Health Minister, has said that units had closed only on “limited occasions”. He said that the government had an “increased choice in maternity care”, adding that the amount of midwifery-led units had nearly doubled since 2010.
“There will always be very limited occasions when a maternity unit cannot safely accept more women into their care and may need to close temporarily.
“Any decisions to redirect women are made by clinicians as part of a carefully managed process”. He also said that the NHS remains “one of the safest places in the world to give birth”.
These figures have arisen since research conducted by the Conservative party in 2008, which concluded that 10% of trusts had had to close their maternity unit 10 times or more, in some cases for more than 48 hours.
Chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives Cathy Warwick, said “Birth is unpredictable and sometimes units get a rush of births that is unavoidable and cannot be planned for.
“However, if units are regularly and persistently having to close their doors to women, it suggests there is a serious underlying problem.”
Elizabeth Duff of the National Childbirth Trust, said “This failure of maternity services can mean women get passed from pillar to post when having a baby. This is hugely disruptive to labour.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk ), Medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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