Green Party

Following two Norwich women speaking out about their bad birthing experiences, Adrian Ramsay, Deputy Leader of the Green Party, is calling for a cross-party pledge to prevent further cuts to NHS maternity services.

His move comes following the two women contacting Mr. Ramsay about their bad experiences. Mr. Ramsay investigated the issue and found that pregnant mothers and babies are at risk nationally due to a severe lack of beds and midwives.

One of the women was left in labour in a hospital toilet, and the other had to give birth at home with no midwife or paramedical assistance.

Jackie Heffer-Cooke, an antenatal professional and mother of two recalled her experience at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital before giving birth to her son Sam.

“I arrived with my husband at the N&N Maternity Unit and was told by the staff that there wasn't a room available for me. I was asked to go and sit in the waiting room, but was by this point quite far into labour and didn't feel comfortable going through it in the company of strangers. Instead I went into the disabled toilet just next door to the reception area. It was an hour later when staff came and told us that a room had become available.”

“I was one of the lucky ones. My husband told me later that as he was waiting with me in the toilet he overheard the staff at reception taking calls from women going into labour and advising them to go elsewhere.”

Jenny Farrer, chose to have a home birth, but had to give birth to her daughter Trudi with no assistance. She said:

“I went into labour and informed the hospital at about 5pm. We were told that the community midwife was in the hospital and would be going off shift at 10pm, after this there was no cover for home births until 8am in the morning. I was very far into labour when I called the hospital to ask whether they would be sending a midwife out. They said that they couldn't, all the midwives were needed at the Maternity Unit.”

Mrs. Farrer has since set up an online petition to Downing Street calling for greater maternity funding and a review of national maternity services. Her and her husband have also written a formal complaint to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for leaving her without any assistance during the birth.

The Norfolk & Norwich Hospital had to stop admissions to its maternity unit on 22 occasions in 2009 due to a lack of beds, yet local birth rate predictions show it will be expected to cope with 60% more births by 2020 than it did when it opened in 2001.

This is part of a national trend, with hospitals across the country being forced into closing delivery suites due to room shortages on more than 350 occasions last year.

The Green Party believes at least part of the reason why money is not available for more beds and midwives is that the Hospital Trust must pay £43m a year to service the expensive Private Finance Initiative contract which built the hospital.

Following the women taking their concerns to Adrian Ramsay, Deputy Leader of the Green Party nationally, Mr Ramsay has written to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg calling for a cross-party pledge that there will be no cuts to maternity services after the election.

Mr Ramsay said: “The national political debate is all about cuts but there are real consequences to these cuts. Maternity services should not become a victim of the recession. Childbirth is something that is so fundamental we can't afford to take risks with support for mothers, and I ask the leaders of the other parties to join me in committing to preserve the funding of maternity services.”

“The midwives at the N&N do a great job, and some have been nominated for national awards. What they need is more support so it is easier for them to look after more women, without their department being under so much pressure. The Green Party proposes that NHS maternity care should be up to the standard currently offered by independent midwives, with a single midwife providing pre-natal and post-natal care, as well as assisting with the birth.”

Today the Green Party is setting out its Maternity Policy, its main aim being to empower women. The policy includes provisions to ensure that women are given the information they need to make appropriate birthing choices, that these options are made available, and to ensure that all women and their partners are offered a full range of psychological support after birth.

The Green Party is also calling for greater investment to ensure an increase in the numbers of both community midwives and maternity units within convenient reach of population centres.

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Posts: 1

sJScYtHUWGlwrwuNC
Reply #1 on : Sat June 25, 2011, 14:15:13

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Wow! That's a really neat asewnr!