Midwife services to be reviewed (From Gazette)

Midwife services to be reviewed

2:23pm Thursday 26th November 2009

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A Health trust board has agreed to an independent review of midwife services in north Essex.

There is one midwife for every 39 pregnant women in Colchester, compared to one for every 12 in Harwich.

NHS North East Essex wants to cut services at Clacton District Hospital and Harwich’s Fryatt Hospital, to boost midwife numbers in Colchester.

The Department of Health’s Gateway Review Team said an independent review is needed before the trust’s plan is put out to consultation.

Board members have agreed to the review, which is set to take place in January.

A public consultation will follow.

Helen Kershaw, NHS North East Essex’s maternity commissioning manager, said: “The aim of the consultation is to address the perceived inequalities in maternity service provision, to ensure women receive an equitable level of maternity service delivery.”

Five options have been put forward: l Replace midwife-led birthing units at the Clacton and Harwich hospitals with seven community-based midwife teams. Mums to get a choice of giving birth at home, or at Colchester General Hospital.

l Create birthing centres at the Clacton and Harwich hospitals, which will mean there is no longer in-patient facilities for new mothers.

l Maintain midwife-led birthing units at the Clacton and Harwich hospitals.

l Close Clacton and Harwich midwife-led birthing units and create traditional community midwifery throughout the district. The choice will be to give birth at home, or at Colchester.

l Close Harwich’s midwifery-led birthing unit, but maintain Clacton’s. The choice would be to give birth at home, at Colchester or Clacton.

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