Campaign launched to save maternity services in Maidstone
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by
Mary Graham
Letters are being sent to 20,000 women as part of a campaign
calling for all maternity services to stay in Maidstone.
The campaign, which is being taken to the door of health secretary
Andy Burnham, will be launched on Saturday, September 5 by Peter
Carroll, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for
Maidstone and the Weald.
Called Full Maternity at Maidstone, Mr Carroll’s campaign has
the backing of retired maternity consultant, Alan Pentecost, who
founded the Maidstone Maternity Unit in 1974.
Campaign group MASH - Maidstone Action for Services in
Hospital - has also called for the full range of services to stay
in Maidstone. Members have met hospital consultants during the
summer to outline their views.
The Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust plans to concentrate
all maternity services at the new Pembury Hospital from around
2011, leaving a midwifery-led birthing unit in Maidstone. The
birthing unit would not be able to deal with complications that may
arise during birth, such as a woman needing an emergency Caesarean
section.
At Saturday’s launch event, which starts at 11am outside Marks
and Spencer in Week Street, women can sign the petition which will
be sent with a letter to Mr Burnham.
Over the next few weeks around 20,000 women will receive letters
urging them to add their signatures and a Facebook group called
Keep Full Maternity at Maidstone has also been set up.
Wednesday, September 02 2009
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