Have your say on local maternity services
Note: this consultation is now closed
Plans for improving local maternity services are going out for public consultation on Monday 18 October.
The aim is to give local people a say in how care for mothers and babies is provided from before pregnancy to care after the birth.
Solihull NHS Care Trust and NHS Birmingham East and North have seen the review of maternity services across their areas as an opportunity to radically reshape and modernise maternity care provided for women and their families, especially for those who are most vulnerable or disadvantaged.
After listening to the views of clinicians, including doctors and midwives, and local mothers and pregnant women, they have drawn up proposals and now want to know what local people think about them. A consultation document and supporting information will be available online at www.maternityconsultation.co.uk, or printed copies are available from the Patient Advice and Liaison Services free on 0800 783 2894 and pals@solihull-ct.nhs.uk or palsbenpct@nhs.net.
At the heart of the consultation is an option for care during childbirth which would see a midwife-led birth centre permanently provided at Solihull Hospital and women having a wider choice of where and how to give birth.
Solihull NHS Care Trust’s Medical Director, Dr Patrick Brooke, said: “This review provides us with a huge opportunity to improve the care that we offer women to make it more supportive, as well as a larger focus on prevention and early identification of potential problems resulting in a safer, higher quality service overall.
“Our vision is that women will be supported from before they conceive until after mother and baby no longer need support. Supporting mothers along their whole journey to parenthood and keeping them healthy will have a huge impact on the future health of mother, child and family. We want to ensure that the maternity services we offer are proactive, supportive, safe and of high quality.”
Dr Mike Caley, Public Health Registrar for NHS Birmingham East and North, said: “We have looked carefully at the whole pregnancy pathway and we have the opportunity here to make real changes to the health of our population. The whole package – from the prevention of unwanted pregnancies to supporting mothers and father after the birth of their baby – has the potential to deliver far reaching improvements to health.”
The consultation period closes on 24 January 2011. People can learn more about the trusts’ plans for maternity services and have their say at a series of public meetings. The first meeting is on Wednesday 3 November at 2pm at the Fordbridge Centre in Nineacres Drive, Chelmsley Wood, when Dr Brooke and Dr Caley will give details, answer questions and take note of opinions.
Further meetings will be held in November and December as follows:
- Castle Vale Library, Spitfire House, 10 High Street, Castle Vale, Birmingham, and Solihull Methodist Church Hall, Blossomfield Road, Solihull, both on Tuesday 9 November at 1pm
- Shirley Methodist Church Hall, 257 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, on Monday 15 November at 7pm
- St. Paul’s Centre, 405b Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham on Wednesday 17 November at 5.30pm
- Mere Green Community Centre, 30A Mere Green Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, on Wednesday 1 December 1 at 5pm.
Ends
Enquiries
For more information please contact Anna Shaw at NHS Birmingham East and North on 0121 380 9103 or Jill Ford or Janet Mee at Solihull NHS Care Trust on 0121 713 8778.
Notes to editors
NHS Birmingham East and North is one of 152 primary care trusts (PCTs) within the English NHS. As a PCT, it is responsible for the wise investment of public money to ensure health improvement, access to health services and where appropriate the provision of health services to a local population of some 438,000 people, across 17 wards in north and east Birmingham.
We organise and fund the delivery of health care with the involvement of local people, maximising health outcomes for every pound spent, referred to as commissioning.
