Hewitt's home births promise is premature, warn Tories
Labour's promise that healthy women who choose to can have their babies at home was undermined yesterday by fears of a shortage of midwives and lack of funds. Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, announced that from 2009 all women would be able to choose where they had their baby - in hospital, in a midwife-led unit or at home. But the Conservatives said there was "no substance" behind the plans and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said that the plan would need an extra 3,000 midwives.
Only about two per cent of the 600,000 babies born each year in England are home births but it is estimated that 10 per cent of women could safely have babies at home.
The Royal College of Midwives says only one in five women is currently given the option of a home birth.
Ms Hewitt said it would be up to NHS trusts to decide on staffing levels, although there would be another 1,000 midwives graduating from training by 2009.
She admitted no money was being earmarked for maternity services, which currently receive £1.7 billion a year.
She said the NHS needed to make maternity care more of a priority. While the maternity budget has been rising in recent years, the overall proportion of NHS funds spent on it has fallen.
Ms Hewitt denied that maternity support workers would be used as substitutes for midwives.
Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said he did not believe that the government would be able to deliver on its promises.
Research by the Tories shows that 43 maternity units are threatened with closure this year. "There is no evidence to support the planned closures and there is no evidence that Patricia Hewitt has substance behind this announcement about home births," Mr Lansley said.
The RCM said the service, which has the equivalent of 19,000 full-time midwives, would need another 1,000 by 2009 and a further 2,000 by 2012.
Dame Karlene Davis, president of the RCM, told the BBC's Breakfast programme: "It is an ambitious plan and the RCM supports it wholeheartedly because we believe that the quality of service the Government is aiming for is exactly what the women of England should have.
"We are obviously concerned that there will need to be enough midwives to make it happen."
From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/04/nbirth04.xml
Health Direct is disgusted at the brass neck of Patricia Hewitt's latest spin/lies. With no new money and labour cutbacks to existing maternity services her latest "promise" is as much welcome as a fart in a space suit.
On March 27, 2007 Health Direct posted in NHS crisis is forcing cuts to maternity care, charity warns when support for pregnant women is being cut because of the NHS's financial troubles, a healthcare charity has warned.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) says it is receiving "increasing reports" that NHS antenatal classes, breastfeeding services and postnatal visits are being cancelled.
NHS antenatal classes have been cut or suspended in at least 10 areas in England and Wales, according to the NCT. These are Romsey in Hampshire; Worcestershire; Newham in London; Watford; Gwent in south Wales; south-west Kent; Nottinghamshire; Gloucestershire; Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire; and Wiltshire.
Health Direct points out that while the number of births rose from 563,744 in 2001 to 613,029 last year, the number of midwives dropped. In 2005 there were 24,808 midwives, 36 fewer than the previous year.
Midwife cuts
— Trusts are cutting budgets for midwifery training, in some cases by 75 per cent or completely
— Many midwifery units now depend on charitable donations to fund training
— Two thirds of midwifery managers say that their department is understaffed
— Thirty-eight per cent say that they have suffered budget cuts
— Twenty-seven per cent say that their Primary Care Trusts froze recruitment in 2005-06. A fifth say the freeze has not been lifted
— There were 24,808 midwives in NHS England, in 2005
— Since 2001, the annual number of births has risen by 49,285 to 613,029
On 10 Jan 07 Health Direct posted that Maternity wards are having their cash cut amid boom in birthrate, say midwives when the NHS is responding to a boom in the birthrate by cutting spending on maternity services, the Royal College of Midwives said after a survey of more than 100 heads of midwifery in hospital trusts across Britain.
It found that two thirds of maternity units were understaffed and most were trying to save money by employing fewer qualified midwives and taking on maternity support workers instead.
Only about two per cent of the 600,000 babies born each year in England are home births but it is estimated that 10 per cent of women could safely have babies at home.
The Royal College of Midwives says only one in five women is currently given the option of a home birth.
Ms Hewitt said it would be up to NHS trusts to decide on staffing levels, although there would be another 1,000 midwives graduating from training by 2009.
She admitted no money was being earmarked for maternity services, which currently receive £1.7 billion a year.
She said the NHS needed to make maternity care more of a priority. While the maternity budget has been rising in recent years, the overall proportion of NHS funds spent on it has fallen.
Ms Hewitt denied that maternity support workers would be used as substitutes for midwives.
Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said he did not believe that the government would be able to deliver on its promises.
Research by the Tories shows that 43 maternity units are threatened with closure this year. "There is no evidence to support the planned closures and there is no evidence that Patricia Hewitt has substance behind this announcement about home births," Mr Lansley said.
The RCM said the service, which has the equivalent of 19,000 full-time midwives, would need another 1,000 by 2009 and a further 2,000 by 2012.
Dame Karlene Davis, president of the RCM, told the BBC's Breakfast programme: "It is an ambitious plan and the RCM supports it wholeheartedly because we believe that the quality of service the Government is aiming for is exactly what the women of England should have.
"We are obviously concerned that there will need to be enough midwives to make it happen."
From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/04/nbirth04.xml
Health Direct is disgusted at the brass neck of Patricia Hewitt's latest spin/lies. With no new money and labour cutbacks to existing maternity services her latest "promise" is as much welcome as a fart in a space suit.
On March 27, 2007 Health Direct posted in NHS crisis is forcing cuts to maternity care, charity warns when support for pregnant women is being cut because of the NHS's financial troubles, a healthcare charity has warned.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) says it is receiving "increasing reports" that NHS antenatal classes, breastfeeding services and postnatal visits are being cancelled.
NHS antenatal classes have been cut or suspended in at least 10 areas in England and Wales, according to the NCT. These are Romsey in Hampshire; Worcestershire; Newham in London; Watford; Gwent in south Wales; south-west Kent; Nottinghamshire; Gloucestershire; Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire; and Wiltshire.
Health Direct points out that while the number of births rose from 563,744 in 2001 to 613,029 last year, the number of midwives dropped. In 2005 there were 24,808 midwives, 36 fewer than the previous year.
Midwife cuts
— Trusts are cutting budgets for midwifery training, in some cases by 75 per cent or completely
— Many midwifery units now depend on charitable donations to fund training
— Two thirds of midwifery managers say that their department is understaffed
— Thirty-eight per cent say that they have suffered budget cuts
— Twenty-seven per cent say that their Primary Care Trusts froze recruitment in 2005-06. A fifth say the freeze has not been lifted
— There were 24,808 midwives in NHS England, in 2005
— Since 2001, the annual number of births has risen by 49,285 to 613,029
On 10 Jan 07 Health Direct posted that Maternity wards are having their cash cut amid boom in birthrate, say midwives when the NHS is responding to a boom in the birthrate by cutting spending on maternity services, the Royal College of Midwives said after a survey of more than 100 heads of midwifery in hospital trusts across Britain.
It found that two thirds of maternity units were understaffed and most were trying to save money by employing fewer qualified midwives and taking on maternity support workers instead.
Labels: Labour shambles, midwives, nhs cutbacks, Patricia Hewitt, RCM
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