27.04.12
Maternity closures in Kent
Maternity centres in Canterbury and Dover are to close from September, to be replaced by new units attached to hospitals in Ashford and Margate.
NHS Kent and Medway said the move will offer the best quality of care and ensure sustainable services for the future. The placement of the units near to consultant-led wards also means that there is rapid access to doctors in case of emergency and 30 midwives and midwifery staff will be employed there.
Community teams will still be based at the original centres to offer midwife-led clinics, parent education classes and postnatal breastfeeding help and advice.
East Kent GP Dr Sarah Montgomery, who led a review of the area’s maternity services, said: “By stopping births in the two maternity units inCanterburyandDover, we have flexibility of staff and we can ensure that all women, wherever they deliver, can have one-to-one care from a midwife when they're in established labour.”
But David Shortt, from the campaign group Concern for Health Care inEast Kent, said: “Home births and birthing unit births are generally considered to be the future way forward for the NHS and we seem to be deciding that we're not going to follow that trend.
“I think it’s bad for the NHS because it’s more expensive for mothers to give birth in hospitals and it’s also depriving them of choice.”
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