Bournemouth maternity unit is NOT set to close, says hospital boss (From Thisisdorset)
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Bournemouth maternity unit is NOT set to close, says hospital boss
10:00am Wednesday 13th February 2013 in Latest By Julie Magee
Bournemouth maternity unit is NOT set to close, says hospital boss
A ROYAL Bournemouth Hospital boss has dismissed claims that the maternity unit is set to close, with women giving birth at Poole hospital instead.
Chief executive Tony Spotswood spoke out after hundreds of people signed a petition opposing “plans” to close shut the Bournemouth maternity unit.
The e-petition on the government website, which will close on March 13, has been created by Judith Bradfield and signed by 814 people.
It states: “There are plans to close the midwife-led unit at Bournemouth Hospital.
Poole has inadequate provision for the extra women it will need to accommodate.
“Despite promises to give women choice, this government are consistently standing by and watching chief executives of NHS trusts undermine midwife-led units and then close them.
“Midwife-led units have equal, if not better, statistics than consultant-led units.
“It is also cheaper for women to deliver at midwife led units. So why are these units closing?”
The petition urges women to ask the government to stop the NHS targeting women’s services and to provide safe comfortable surroundings for women to give birth.
It also calls for women to stop the closure of Bournemouth hospital’s midwife-led unit and honour the promise for women to have choice in Bournemouth.
But Mr Spotswood told the Daily Echo: “There are no current plans to change the way maternity services are provided. Any reconfiguration of services will be for the new organisation to consider, should the merger go ahead, and the new trust will consult fully on any changes that might be proposed.”
He added: “It is essential that women have the choice of either having a home birth or giving birth at a midwifery-led unit or obstetric-led service, as they currently have. This will not change.”
Ebb Tide says...
4:30pm Wed 13 Feb 13
The evidence given to the Competition Commission by Monitor is redacted but does refer to the lack of convincing evidence from the merging parties for the savings and efficiencies claimed as justification for merger.
No 'current' plans but an emerging need and commitment to make some seems more likely. Therefore public concern is justified since even Monitor apparently has no clue as to how the merged organisation could comply with the declared aspirations.