Healthcare Commission Report on Maternity Services
The Healthcare Commission’s report on Maternity Services in the NHS begins to offer patients the information they need to make informed decisions about where to have antenatal treatment and to give birth.
The postcode lottery endemic in the NHS is nowhere more apparent than in this report. In 2007, all Strategic Health Authorities, in order to save money cut training budgets. As a direct result, universities trained 30% fewer midwives. The workload has certainly increased but resources have decreased. Maternity services should be memorable services but not in this way. For many mothers, this will be their first encounter with the NHS.
The variability of service is due to a lack of midwives, ante-natal classes, and maternity units closing rather than opening and unpredicted additional demand following freedom of movement within the EU.
Director of Communications Katherine Murphy said, ‘ D-Day for mothers and babies should also mean delivery of a decent service by the NHS, regardless of where they live. When things go wrong and clinicians are at fault, the cost to the NHS – and all of us – in payments is huge. But the cost to the individual mother and baby is incalculable.’
“Patients understand the pressures on staff, who want to provide high quality care. Easy access to midwife-led care, antenatal care and a safe service regardless of where you choose to have your baby is obviously best for mothers and most cost-effective in the long run for the NHS.”
The details of this report should be compulsory reading for every NHS trust and mothers too will expect delivery of the improvements called for by the Healthcare Commission.
