One in four women transferred from midwife-led units to consultants

A BBC investigation has found that 25 per cent of women are being transferred from midwife-led units to consultants due to birth complications.

As part of the investigation, researchers contacted 139 hospital trusts under the Freedom of Information Act and received responses from 128 midwife-led units throughout England.

The recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is that midwife-led units are chosen for low-risk births. The Royal College of Midwives says that midwife-led units offer women more personal care and that, following a ‘definitive’ study, midwife-led units were as safe as hospital births.

However, the Birth Trauma Association’s co-founder Maureen Treadwell, said more information was needed on the available options, and added “Even when someone is deemed to be low risk, something can still go catastrophically wrong.

“Midwife-led units are recommended, but there simply isn’t the data to support that recommendation for first time mothers.

“We are not saying that they are not safe, just that we cannot say for certain.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record. The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence.  He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims.  Tony also acts as the Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled.  Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk.  Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win-no fee solicitors for free legal advice on the freephone number below.

Freephone: 0800 028 2969

For further information, please see our cerebral palsy and birth injury website:

http://www.cerebralpalsyclaimssolicitors.co.uk

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.