GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
Women expecting to give birth at home have been told this is now not possible as ambulance services are currently overwhelmed.
Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford suspended its home birth service earlier today after continued pressure on stretched crews meant it could no longer safely support "timely emergency" transfers if needed.
The decision was made by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, which manages the hospital, and communicated via social media channels.
A spokesman for Trust said: "It is with regret that the decision was taken today to suspend the home birth service, with immediate effect.
"We have not taken this decision lightly and acknowledge how important it is for women and their families to have a choice in their place of birth.
"Our ambulance services are currently overwhelmed and have informed us that they can no longer support timely emergency and non-urgent transfer of women choosing a home birth, to the maternity unit, if required.
"This will be very disappointing for many women who have chosen to give birth at home but we feel that it is important to share this information with you to support you in making an informed and safe choice when planning where to birth your baby.
"The safety of mothers and babies is our primary focus and it is essential that we have ambulance support to transfer mothers and babies, in emergency as well as non-urgent situations into hospital.
"The suspension of the home birth service will be reviewed on a daily basis in conjunction with updates received from South East Coast Ambulance Services and London Ambulance Services.
"All changes will be cascaded to you by your community midwives and also posted on the Trust website."
It comes the same day as bosses at East Kent Hospitals Trust, which runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and QEQM in Margate, also suspended home births for the time being to help ease the strain on ambulance crews.
They initially stopped them in April, with the home birth service resuming in a phased way in June.
But a suspension has been brought in again, due to the risk of complications arising during labour and the subsequent need for an ambulance to be called by midwives.
Darent Valley Hospital has an onsite "birth centre" where midwives care for women during labour and postnatally.
As of Monday January 4, the Trust says there will be an opportunity for those attending the hospital for either a maternity ultrasound scan or antenatal clinic to receive the flu and whooping cough vaccinations.
Weekly updates regarding service provisions will also be posted on the its website.
For general advice concerning pregnancy and labour, patients are urged to call its 24 hour maternity assessment unit as usual on 01322 428280 or 01322 428278
