Demands for return of old system of care
Click video. 'Unsafe' and 'a catastrophe waiting to happen'. That's the damning verdict on new maternity services in East Sussex from senior medical staff. John Ryall reports.
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Sussex maternity plans 'absolutely outrageous'
There are renewed calls for health bosses to re-consider a decision to downgrade a maternity department in Sussex. The unit at Eastbourne District Hospital will be shut temporarily and replaced with a birth centre.
Campaigners fear it could become permanent. It means some expectant mothers will have to travel to the Conquest in Hastings to give birth.
The Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd told the house of Commons the plans were 'absolutely outrageous'
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Why Portsmouth's a good place to have a baby
Maternity services at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have been praised in a new report.
In June 2012 NHS South of England coordinated a survey of mothers’ experience of their care across all 37 NHS Trusts.
Many said that their experience at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust was a good one, especially when it came to one to one care.
– Gill Walton, Director of MidwiferyThe results show that we are performing well and within the expected outcomes for all areas of the survey. One result was significantly above the South of England average with regards to one to one care in labour, where the woman and partner reported that they were not left alone by midwives or doctors at a time when it worried them. This is one of priorities within the current development programme, ‘Nurture’ which is very encouraging.”
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute hospital trusts in the country. Most services are provided at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The Trust handles around 130,000 Emergency Department admissions a year and has the busiest maternity department on the South Coast.
Kent Birth Centre Celebrates
by David Johns (@davidjohns_itv)
It's one year since the Birthing Unit at Maidstone Hospital opened
Read the full storyRevamp for maternity unit where Duchess was born
It's one of the busiest maternity units in the South - delivering up to six thousand babies a year. And, today, the new midwife-led centre at the Royal Berkshire Hospital was officially opened.
More than a million pounds has been spent converting an existing ward on the top floor of the maternity block where the Duchess of Cambridge was born. Kerry Swain spent the day meeting some VERY new arrivals.
New maternity unit for Royal Berkshire hospital
VIDEO: A new midwife-led maternity unit is being officially opened at the Royal Berkshire Hospital today. A total of £1.3m has been spent on converting an existing ward into the new centre which has four individual birthing rooms. The hospital delivers around 16 babies every day of the year.
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Fight continues to save birthing centre
Campaigners against plans to close a birthing centre in Berkshire will hold a meeting tonight. The NHS Trust which runs the Ascot birth unit at Heatherwood Hospital has recommended it should close. Up to 400 people are expected to march to the hospital on Saturday morning.
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