Friday 2 August 2013

Maternity provision at Stafford Hospital.


Stafford Hospital, is being re-organised (closed) as a result of the clinical and financial catastrophe produced by its management.

Luckily the manager of the Trust that is taking over isn’t any old idiot. In fact, he is a good old fashioned sexist idiot, as this report from the Stafford Newsletter reveals.

Maternity is the first to go- if you have a baby you’ll have to travel to Stoke. He says that Mums need consultants – fine you could employ some at Stafford.

Instead;

 

 

“THE chief executive of University Hospital North Staffordshire has said Stafford women could embrace the idea of home births in the future, after administrators announced plans to close the maternity department in the county town.”   

 

Mark Hackett talked to the Newsletter following the publication of Stafford Hospital administrators' blueprint for the future of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust which would see the trust dissolved and maternity services taken over by the Stoke hospital.

"I think what's really important for the public to understand is for women who are having pregnancies here in Stafford we will have strong services to deliver ante and post natal care, but when they have the once in a lifetime event that is a birth they will have to travel to have that undertaken."

 

Mr Hackett said that meant the trust would be able to ensure dedicated consultant cover in a 'much larger maternity unit that is personalised and meets their needs'.

"There is a trade off between the access to these services and ensuring high quality," he said.

 

Mr Hackett said the reason UHNS would not be offering an obstetric service in Stafford was because the number of births in the town was too low to maintain skills and competencies at a high level for obstetricians and midwives.

He said working in large consultant-led units had been endorsed by medical experts in obstetrics and gynaecology as resulting in safer care.

 

"In terms of midwifery births - for women that have low risks we predict in their pregnancy - there will also be the opportunity to have a birth at home," said Mr Hackett. "Although there are issues where people might want to look at the security of hospitals.

Where, exactly, are these midwives to come from after you’ve closed down Stafford maternity?

Idiot.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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