Audio: A resounding no to maternity move
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By chief reporter Angela Cole
acole@thekmgroup.co.uk
Maidstone people told health bosses in no uncertain terms that
they did not want to lose their maternity services and children's
ward at a public meeting last night.
The KCC-organised meeting, at
Mote Hall, attracted hundreds of vocal people, wanting to give
their views to trust management who propose to move the services to
the new Pembury Hospital from Maidstone when it opens next
year.
Children's services would operate between 8am and 8pm Monday to
Friday at Maidstone, if the changes go ahead, and a small,
midwife-led unit without consultants would remain for
mums-to-be.
Audio: Views at on the
maternity move
Despite putting their point for the improvement of services if
the plans go ahead, NHS West Kent's Wilson Bolsover did admit: "I
wouldn't choose to have my baby in a midwifery led unit because I
want different things."
He told the Kent Messenger after the meeting, however, that it
was because he could exercise his choice and would want consultants
on hand because he was aware of the dangers of childbirth.
A number of mums who had had babies in Maidstone recently and
years ago told of their experiences, many of whom had given birth
in a shorter time than the trust's average journey times between
Maidstone and Pembury of 24 minutes by ambulance, and 40 minutes by
car.
Many people spoke against the proposals by the Maidstone and
Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, including KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter,
Maidstone council leader Cllr Chris Garland and consultant Jonathan
Goodman.
Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant (Con) told the meeting in
a rousing speech: "Our community has spoken out loud and clear. We
have no hidden agenda. We are not asking for anything new and we
don't want something extra, we simply want to retain our existing
services and the maintain genuine choices for our community.
"The evidence against downgrading of our hospital is powerful.
These plans are wrong and dangerous and they will lead to
fatalities."
Representatives of NHS West Kent, the hospital trust and the
strategic health authority, which must report back to Health
Secretary Andrew Lansley on its local assessment of how the plans
are viewed, told the meeting the status quo was unsustainable and
that the new Pembury Hospital was an improvement.
Several midwives also spoke in favour of the plans. Gillian
Duffey, head of midwifery at the trust, described a midwifery-led
birthing unit as "having a home birth in a different facility."
"We do think that a proper midwifery led unit at Maidstone
Hospital site will be an advance in the delivery of services in
west Kent."
There was disagreement over whether the proposals affecting
Maidstone Hospital had been approved. Sue Bell from the health
authority told the meeting they had been approved by Mr Lansley,
while Mrs Grant pointed out that his decision so far had been on
the Pembury plans, not the Maidstone end.
The meeting also heard that hospital staff were afraid to speak
out in opposition and, when asked, chief executive Glenn Douglas
agreed to carry out an anonymous survey of staff to find out their
true opinions.
A show of hands at the meeting showed a handful in favour and
the overwhelming majority against the plans.
Friday, September 10 2010
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