Bridgnorth council wants to be 'formal partner' in maternity review

Bridgnorth Town Council has written to Simon Wright, the chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SATH), Simon Freeman, the accountable officer of Shropshire CCG, and MP Philip Dunne, in response to the ongoing consultation about services at rural maternity units.

At the town's annual meeting last month, those attending voted in favour of making a formal representation as part of the consultation.

In the letter Bridgnorth town clerk Anne Wilson said: "As the locally elected council, this body is exceptionally well-placed to provide local evidence from the town of Bridgnorth on behalf of its local residents in terms of compiling the necessary patient and public engagement required for a meaningful consultation process.

"It is also our strategic role to take into account the economic and social needs of the whole community, and consider the consequential impact of any proposed changes to service delivery."

The letter adds that closing or downgrading the maternity unit's services could lead to "increased health inequalities for disadvantaged families without transport provision to access services if moved further away".

It states that there are "potential serious medium and long-term impacts in terms of our town’s ability to attract and retain young families to the area for economic vitality of the town".

The council has requested to become a formal partner in the consultation process, to be invited to send representatives to all meetings of the SATH and the CCG board, and to be involved in the draft proposals for the unit's future.

It also said it opposes the closure or downgrading of the unit, in line with the vote from residents at the annual town meeting.

The issue has also seen 500 protestors marching through the town, while a petition with more than 3,000 signatures has been collected to retain the service.

The council has requested that the consultation period be extended until September.

The news comes after a suggestion that three midwife-led units at Bridgnorth, Oswestry, and Ludlow, become ‘birthing centres’, was given the backing of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust’s governing board, when it approved its operational plan last week.

A decision will be made on the units later this year after a review being led by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group.