7:10am Thursday 17th July 2008
By James Connell
A MULTI-MILLION pound overhaul of maternity services will include a new midwife-led birth unit in Worcester.
The unit would be developed at Worcestershire Royal Hospital as health chiefs announce reforms costing £3.5 million a year.
The cash would also pay for 24-hour paediatric acute assessment services at the Royal and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.
Health leaders say the plans will avoid maternity services being centralised in Worcester, reduce infant deaths and end uncertainty about the future of services at the Alexandra, described as “demoralising and frustrating” for staff.
Plans were unanimously approved by the Worcestershire Primary Care Trust board at a meeting at County Hall in Worcester yesterday.
Paul Bates, chief executive of the PCT said: “Midwives and consultants want to see what our mettle is, whether they can trust us, whether we’re truly serious about putting this investment in. With sufficient demonstration that we’re absolutely serious about this, there will be a vast sigh of relief.”
The unit, scheduled to be developed at the hospital’s Larkspur Suite, would contain eight birthing rooms, two with birthing pools, a staff area, a sitting room for relatives and a clinical room which could double as a delivery room.
The unit will contain equipment, including piped oxygen, Entonox (used to ease labour pain) and blood pressure monitors.
Health leaders estimate it would cost £2 million to set up and £100,000 to run and would provide care for between 600 and 800 mothers per year.
The plans are still at an outline stage although it is scheduled to be developed between now and 2013.
The new strategy has been developed by Worcestershire Primary Care Trust and the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
If the midwife-led unit in Worcester is a success, PCT leaders say they may open one in the north of the county.
The strategy was welcomed by Helen Hunt, a spokesman for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).
Mother-of-two Mrs Hunt of Jackdaw Lane, Droitwich, said: “I think it’s fantastic news for expectant parents.”
Improvements under the strategy A new midwife-led birthing unit for Worcester with eight birthing rooms Reduced perinatal and infant mortality through better midwife care Fewer caesarean sections Increase in birth choice, including home births Fewer people being admitted to hospital and for less time More staff working in maternity services and new skills training programmes for consultants and doctors Better access for children to specialist paediatric services New midwife-led centre in north Worcestershire could be on cards if Worcester one is successful Access: county-wide service stays – mothers in Worcestershire will not have to be cared for in Worcester.
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