Health chiefs quizzed over maternity review
HEALTH
bosses have again been accused of a “lack of transparency” over a closed
maternity unit in Chipping Norton. Four months after births were suspended at
the Cotswold Maternity Unit, bosses still cannot say when it will reopen or
exactly what closed it.
Hilary
Biles, county councillor for Chipping Norton, criticised a “lack of
transparency” about the issue. She said: “I just want an end date with some
consultation about what is going to happen.“If there had been good management
in place when these issues were raised by these two midwives, I don’t think we
would be in this situation. “The lack of management at that level was then
transferred up the ladder and I think the management further up was remiss in
handling this.”
Kate
Barlow, who had four children at the unit, said: “I want reassurances that the
review will look into the failings of the management teams in the trust that
allowed this to happen. “Taxpayers’ money has been invested in this fantastic
facility and it’s not being used. We’re being denied our right to these
facilities. ”Councillor Jenny Hannaby said: “This is like something out of a
BBC drama. “I really cannot understand why you could not have put a team in
place in the unit, like they do in schools, to keep it open while you do the
review.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust was grilled during an
update at the county’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee yesterday. The
unit was closed in October and the trust launched a review after concerns were
raised about a high number of transfer rates to other hospitals. Following the
closure, an online petition claimed two midwives had been suspended from the
unit after raising concerns about work practices and safety.
The
trust’s director of planning and information, Andrew Stevens, said: “There were
concerns raised by parents and staff, and others, about the unit, that was
coupled with the fact the transfer rate from the unit was above what would be
expected for such a unit. “The reasons are complex, but are covered by the
culture of the unit, the unit’s operation and management issues. “The team was
not operating the unit as a cohesive team. ”He added: “We felt it was too
complex a situation to change by simply a change of personnel.
“Given
the issues raised, we needed to undertake a thorough review and the best way to
address the issues was to suspend births.” He said the completed review would
be taken to the trust’s board on March 13 and would recommend reopening the
maternity unit.
Tom Jennings: Email: tjennings@nqo.com
Ed: Yeah right! All those people who were at the protest to
keep the hospital open will remember the attempts to get rid of the maternity unit.
By slowly chipping away at the services they will eventually say it isn't worth
keeping the hospital open, and as I said previously I can imagine minor
problems being dealt with the new Health Park (doctors surgery).