Shropshire midwives chief admits rural maternity unit closures ‘were expected’

Sarah Jamieson said there were risks because 98 per cent of women were choosing to give birth at the consultant-led unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the two midwife-led units in Shrewsbury and Wrekin during the six-month suspension of births at Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow.

But she added that Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals (SaTH) Trust had to “make good” on its promise that the units would be fully open from January 1.

Health bosses had agreed to suspend births at the three units because of a shortage of staff and had hoped to address that during the closure period.

But the start of this year has seen sickness increase and a series of short-term suspension of births at all three units with the current view to continue this until the end of September and beyond.

They are still open for pre and post-natal care.

Mrs Jamieson said: “We knew the likely risk was the volume of women giving birth at the consultant-led unit and the two larger midwife-led units would be problematic and it was.”

Her comments to Shropshire Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday came as SaTH continues its latest engagement to look at extending the suspensions until a new maternity model can be delivered by the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

This may see MLUs turned into hubs to provide pre and post-natal care.

Ms Jamieson said this would not be before the start of next year at the earliest.

Unrealistic

She added: “We had some unrealistic aspirations to complete the CCG midwife-led unit review during that period last year.

“That is going through a process and that process is going to take some time.

“It will be ready to go out to consultation in the autumn but that means the new model will not be ready until the start of next year at the earliest.”

But Councillor Tracey Huffer for Ludlow East said health bosses are making it “impossible” for women to give birth at rural maternity units, claiming mums-to-be would “love” to choose the units but are being put off by the temporary suspensions.

She continued: “I think you have made it impossible for mums to go to MLUs.

“Mums who are going to the consultant-led unit would love to go to their local MLU, but they aren’t going to, why would you when you know it might be closed?”

Councillor Huffer also said there is a lot of frustration coming from mums who have taken part in previous consultations and engagements with SaTH, and said some were not aware of the current engagement to seek a long-term suspension.

She added: “Mums feel no-one is listening to them and they feel insulted by this latest engagement when their thoughts have already been shared.”

By Emily Lloyd, local democracy reporter