Fury over saved ward's closure (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Fury over saved ward's closure

THE man who helped bring about a U-turn over the axeing of Malmesbury maternity unit has slammed the decision to to close the facility for three months due to a shortage of midwives.

Malmesbury county councillor John Thomson is to ask health chiefs responsible for maternity services to explain why the staffing problems were not better addressed after the unit had to temporarily close for the same reason last December.

Cllr Thomson was reacting to the announcement by West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust - the organisation responsible for maternity services - that the unit will close from June 1 until September 1.

The trust has invited expectant mothers due to give birth in Malmesbury to instead use maternity services in Chippenham Hospital, Great Western Hospital in Swindon or the RUH in Bath.

Staff at Malmesbury have already been working extra hours to maintain the service, while the trust is encouraging secondments from other areas and running a recruitment drive to attract more midwives.

The trust's director of operations, Jenny Barker, said: "The shortage of midwives in this area has left us with no choice but to take these measures to ensure mothers and babies are not put at risk.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience that his transfer may cause mums-to-be, but our paramount concern has to be the clinical safety of the mothers and babies."

Although the birthing unit will shut both ante and post-natal appointments will continue to be held in Malmesbury during the three-month closure.

Cllr Thomson chaired Wiltshire County Council's health scrutiny committee which last September referred the decision to close both Malmesbury and Devizes maternity units to the Secretary of State for Health.

The intervention brought about a change of heart by both the West Wiltshire and Kennet and North Wiltshire PCTs, which agreed to drop the plans until a full review of their community health services was completed.

The review is now underway, but it is just the latest episode in a three-year struggle to prevent the permanent closure of the two maternity units, a decision taken due to their poor cost-effectiveness and low usage.

Internal e-mails released by Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT have already revealed bosses cannot find how it will save the £318,000 it claimed would be saved by closing the maternity units.

Cllr Thomson said: "It is not surprising that we have a shortage of midwives when you consider the way the PCT has treated the staff at Malmesbury Hospital over the last three years.

"I will be asking the health scrutiny committee look into why the staffing problems have not been addressed by West Wiltshire PCT after the last closure of the unit for the same reason."

Referring to the steady rise in births at Malmesbury since the decision to close it was announced, Cllr Thomson added: "Are we being too successful in getting the birth rate up at Malmesbury?"