THE chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS trust, John Rostill, has told the Shuttle/Times and News he personally feels Wyre Forest Birth Centre will not re-open.

He expressed his "personal gut feeling" - which, he stressed, was not the view of the hospital trust or any other medical organisation - after confirming reports that inpatient post-natal services would cease at the unit at Kidderminster Hospital at the end of January.

Those services will not resume until after a decision has been made on whether the birth centre should reopen for deliveries, he said, after a damning independent inquiry found that failings in the standard of care provided at the centre might have contributed to the death of babies.

Mr Rostill said the services were being cut to create a situation in which one of the inquiry team's 27 recommendations - for staff to rotate between hospitals - could be implemented.

He added, however, it would not be good use of resources for inpatient postnatal services to resume at the centre if it did not reopen for deliveries, which ceased on September 19, 2003.

"If the birth centre does not reopen for deliveries then I'm afraid it's likely to be the case that post-natal inpatient services will never return to Kidderminster but, at the moment, it's meant to be an interim measure in terms of implementing the recommendations of the inquiry team," he explained.

On the subject of how he expected district residents to respond, he said it would be interesting to see, adding: "There has been no overwhelming support for the birth centre to be re-opened."

He responded to reports that staff were upset by the latest decision, which they were told of at a meeting on Tuesday, December 14, by saying some were "very upset that they have been criticised at all" but others had encouraged the approach being taken.

"I think we've got to understand the seriousness of the report - five babies, it suggested, died unnecessarily at the unit and, on that basis, we have to take very, very strong action to make sure that it simply cannot be repeated and we are actively moving towards implementing the recommendations."

He added the inquiry report called for national guidelines to be drawn up on stand-alone units and he would be surprised if those were published within two to five years.

He added his personal opinion was that the birth centre was unlikely to reopen because of potential associated risks and lack of guidance.

"There is a due process to be followed and none of the health organisations within Worcestershire have come to a conclusion as to if or when the birth centre will re-open but my gut reaction, personally, is that it will not re-open," he said.

"I think the only thing that will continue to operate there are ante-natal services."

Unit staff upset by cuts

A MIDWIFE based at a Midlands hospital outside Kidderminster has responded to the cut of inpatient post-natal services at Wyre Forest Birth Centre by saying staff at other units dreamed of having such a facility.

"It's just so sad," she added.

That was the response of just one of many people who contacted the Shuttle/Times & News after hearing rumours of the pending cut in services in January.

Secretary of the Worcestershire branch of UNISON, Nina Woodford, said staff at the unit were "very upset".

She added: "I would hope it is a temporary closure and we certainly will be pushing for it to be reinstated."

"We feel for the people of Kidderminster because if you're expecting a baby you want to have it as close to home as you can.

Mr Rostill said ante-natal clinics would continue to be run in Kidderminster under the new arrangements and midwives wishing to continue working there would have to apply for the remaining posts.

Others will work at other hospital sites in the county, but no jobs will be cut, he added.

A group will start looking at what maternity services can be provided in Wyre Forest in the new year following a meeting of the district Primary Care Trust.

PCT chief executive, Eamonn Kelly, said a decision was yet to be made on whether to commission the Wyre Forest Birth Centre for births but the new group was needed to fulfil a recommendation in the birth centre inquiry report for his organisation "to develop a strategic vision to commission maternity services in Wyre Forest".