Maternity unit may close despite £1 Million extra funds
A north London hospital is struggling to rebuild its reputation after the Healthcare Commission called for urgent 'special measures' to be taken to improve its maternity services.
A spokesman for North West London strategic health authority admitted that Northwick Park Hospital, part of North West London Hospitals trust, could lose out in future if patients decide to use other maternity services under the policy to give patients a choice of hospitals.
'The choose and book programme does mean that patient choice will dictate the success of services in future and we appreciate we have got a lot of work to do to rebuild the confidence of patients,' he said.
The Labour Party manifesto states that 'by 2009 all women will have a choice over where they have their baby'. Last Thursday the commission called on health secretary John Reid to intervene in the provision of maternity services at the hospital to 'safeguard patients' after an investigation highlighted 'serious system failures'.
The trust is set to receive £1m from the Department of Health to improve the hospital's maternity services. However, local trusts that step in to provide services in the meantime are unlikely to receive any extra payment in compensation.
As part of a service improvement plan, the trust is to transfer patients needing elective Caesareans to London's private Portland Hospital.
The exclusive London hospital, which has cared for a host of celebrity mothers- to- be, including the Duchess of York, Victoria Beckham and actress Patsy Kensit, has itself been the subject of two high-profile maternal death cases in recent years.
In 2003 an inquiry by the National Care Standards Commission raised questions of the death of a patient and the care given by anaesthetist Kenneth MacLeod.
The previous year a jury found another patient died following neglect after giving birth by Caesarean section. The private sector is not required to publish maternal death rates and patients cannot compare private and NHS maternity service provision.
However, a Portland Hospital spokesperson told HSJ it would be 'happy to give both current and potential patients this information'.
North West London Hospitals trust has agreed to a set of improvement measures that also include setting up a clinical partnership with Queen Charlotte's Hospital, part of Hammersmith Hospitals trust.
In August 2004, North West London Hospitals trust asked the Healthcare Commission to investigate maternity services following concerns about nine maternal deaths at the trust since April 2002.
The commission was 'extremely concerned' about patient safety after a spot check at the trust earlier this month and following a further death in March. Identified failures included:
* insufficient staff for number of deliveries;
* inadequate care for patients moving from low to high risk;
* no dedicated consultant covering the maternity ward for a minimum 40 hours a week;
* ward rounds not systematic;
* poor teamwork and inadequate staff communication;
* weak clinical leadership.
A spokesman for North West London strategic health authority admitted that Northwick Park Hospital, part of North West London Hospitals trust, could lose out in future if patients decide to use other maternity services under the policy to give patients a choice of hospitals.
'The choose and book programme does mean that patient choice will dictate the success of services in future and we appreciate we have got a lot of work to do to rebuild the confidence of patients,' he said.
The Labour Party manifesto states that 'by 2009 all women will have a choice over where they have their baby'. Last Thursday the commission called on health secretary John Reid to intervene in the provision of maternity services at the hospital to 'safeguard patients' after an investigation highlighted 'serious system failures'.
The trust is set to receive £1m from the Department of Health to improve the hospital's maternity services. However, local trusts that step in to provide services in the meantime are unlikely to receive any extra payment in compensation.
As part of a service improvement plan, the trust is to transfer patients needing elective Caesareans to London's private Portland Hospital.
The exclusive London hospital, which has cared for a host of celebrity mothers- to- be, including the Duchess of York, Victoria Beckham and actress Patsy Kensit, has itself been the subject of two high-profile maternal death cases in recent years.
In 2003 an inquiry by the National Care Standards Commission raised questions of the death of a patient and the care given by anaesthetist Kenneth MacLeod.
The previous year a jury found another patient died following neglect after giving birth by Caesarean section. The private sector is not required to publish maternal death rates and patients cannot compare private and NHS maternity service provision.
However, a Portland Hospital spokesperson told HSJ it would be 'happy to give both current and potential patients this information'.
North West London Hospitals trust has agreed to a set of improvement measures that also include setting up a clinical partnership with Queen Charlotte's Hospital, part of Hammersmith Hospitals trust.
In August 2004, North West London Hospitals trust asked the Healthcare Commission to investigate maternity services following concerns about nine maternal deaths at the trust since April 2002.
The commission was 'extremely concerned' about patient safety after a spot check at the trust earlier this month and following a further death in March. Identified failures included:
* insufficient staff for number of deliveries;
* inadequate care for patients moving from low to high risk;
* no dedicated consultant covering the maternity ward for a minimum 40 hours a week;
* ward rounds not systematic;
* poor teamwork and inadequate staff communication;
* weak clinical leadership.
http://www.hsj.co.uk/nav?page=hsj.news.story&resource=2287249
posted by Dr Search- Principal Consultant at the Search Clinic at
3:33 PM
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