26 February 2006
Mike Penning asks 15 local GP practices for their views.
Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has written to fifteen local GP Practices asking for their views and advice on the threatened closure of the Hemel Birth Centre. In his letter to them he has asked if they think the Centre is necessary for adequate healthcare, if the facilities at Watford are adequate and could cope with the influx of Hemel mothers, if Dacorum PCT should make alternative arrangements and whether it would be viable for a local GP Practice to set up our own dedicated Birth centre if the Hemel one closes.
Mike said: “I have already received written replies from half of the Doctors and not surprisingly 100% of the responses so far feel that the birth facilities for Hemel mothers at Watford are inadequate. One Doctor expressed a specific concern that ‘the constantly increasing pressure that has landed on Watford with the closure of the Birth Centre resource at Hemel may be contributing to a high incidence of instrumental deliveries in order to increase throughput.’ All but one of those who have so far responded think that our Birth Centre is necessary, but add that it is not ideal without paediatric and obstetric specialist staff available. Concern has also been expressed that in the absence of the Hemel Birth Centre many more mothers are electing to go to Stoke Mandeville or to have home births rather than go to Watford. The home birth trend worries me as I am told that we already suffer from a serious shortage of midwives both nationally and in the Hemel area.”
Mike wrote at the same time to the Dacorum PCT on these matters and is awaiting their reply.
Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has written to fifteen local GP Practices asking for their views and advice on the threatened closure of the Hemel Birth Centre. In his letter to them he has asked if they think the Centre is necessary for adequate healthcare, if the facilities at Watford are adequate and could cope with the influx of Hemel mothers, if Dacorum PCT should make alternative arrangements and whether it would be viable for a local GP Practice to set up our own dedicated Birth centre if the Hemel one closes.
Mike said: “I have already received written replies from half of the Doctors and not surprisingly 100% of the responses so far feel that the birth facilities for Hemel mothers at Watford are inadequate. One Doctor expressed a specific concern that ‘the constantly increasing pressure that has landed on Watford with the closure of the Birth Centre resource at Hemel may be contributing to a high incidence of instrumental deliveries in order to increase throughput.’ All but one of those who have so far responded think that our Birth Centre is necessary, but add that it is not ideal without paediatric and obstetric specialist staff available. Concern has also been expressed that in the absence of the Hemel Birth Centre many more mothers are electing to go to Stoke Mandeville or to have home births rather than go to Watford. The home birth trend worries me as I am told that we already suffer from a serious shortage of midwives both nationally and in the Hemel area.”
Mike wrote at the same time to the Dacorum PCT on these matters and is awaiting their reply.