Janice Small: Rise in neonatal deaths blamed on lack of staff and maternity budget cuts
On the day that the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust releases its report on maternity services, PPC for Batley and Spen, Janice Small, highlights the tragic numbers of neo natal and still birth rates across the West Yorkshire area. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2009/07/29/maternity-services-changes-a-hit-with-mothers-86081-24262100/
In the years from 2005 to 2007, the most up-to-date information available, there were 401 neonatal deaths in the area, and 583 stillbirths.
Deaths are the Calderdale Royal Hospital had risen from 6 in 2005 to 13 in 2007 and stillbirths from 16 in 2005 to 21 in 2007.
Janice said: “These figures are a tragic reminder that in 21 st century West Yorkshire we still do not have enough trained midwives and neonatal staff”.
A Parliamentary Question found that neonatal deaths have been rising throughout England and Wales. The number of neonatal deaths has risen from 2,205 in 2005 to 2,269 in 2007.
Janice believes that the rising neonatal deaths are due to a shortage of funds going into maternity services in the NHS and the education system to train these men and women and give them jobs at the end of it. NHS spending on maternity in England was cut by £55 million in 2006-07, while the birth rate has risen by 16 per cent since 2001.
Lack of midwives is an acute problem across England and Wales. The Royal College of Midwives estimate that 5,000 extra midwives need to be recruited urgently, but the Government has promised only 3,400 full-time posts and fifity per cent of midwives are due to retire in the next 10 years.
Neonatal units are running close to capacity. During the six month period to 31 st March 2007, more than half (56%) of neonatal units had been closed for admissions for one or more days. The average length of closure was 14 days – insufficient staff is often cited for the reason.
Janice said: “It is astounding that a G7 country is seeing a rise in neonatal deaths. The government claims that an extra £300m has been allocated to trusts but nine out of ten of them have not seen any money.
“This Government has been more concerned with getting a good headline than delivering the services that patients need.
“It is unacceptable that at a time when the NHS is reporting record surpluses of nearly £2 billion that this funding is not reaching the front line, where it is so desperately needed by new mothers and their children.” ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Failing to deliver
- 655,357 births in the 12 months to mid 2007, a rise of 16 per cent compared with 2001
- 19,298 full-time midwives working by 2007, a rise of only 7 per cent in the same period
- 40% of England maternity units rated “fair” or “weak” for quality of services by the Healthcare Commission
- £330m extra funding was promised for maternity care by the Government in January, but nine out of ten trusts cannot yet identify what proportion of this money they will spend this year
- 36 midwives advised for every 1,000 births, yet in most regions the majority of maternity units fail to meet this minimum requirement
Sources: ONS, Healthcare Commission, Times Database, Royal College of Midwives
Parliamentary Question: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-10-14a.224451.h&s=section%3Awrans+speaker%3A11599#g224451.q0
Rises in neonatal deaths are usually associated with poorer areas and a lack of midwives, although the Health Commission’s latest report, “Towards Better Births” shows that these areas are not the hardest hit by a lack of midwives. http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/Towards_better_births_200807221338.pdf |
