Hundreds join Oswestry march over Shropshire maternity services - with video and pictures

This weekend it was Oswestry's turn following similar marches for maternity services in Ludlow and Bridgnorth over the past nine months.

The cause is more urgent than ever, protesters say, as Shrewsbury and Telford Hosiptal NHS Trust has now suspended services at the units in the three towns, possibly for six months, due to ongoing staffing issues, operating an on-call services for Shropshire's smaller, more rural towns instead.

Hundreds of supporters, including many mums with pushchairs and small children, gathered in the centre of Oswestry at Bailey Head, outside the Guildhall, at 10.30am, before marching via via Burma Road and Park Hall out to the unit, which is based at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital site, though run by SaTH, not the main hospital's separate trust.

The two-mile trek to the out of-town hospital was the longest of the Shropshire campaigners' maternity marches, and involved protesters crossing the busy A5 road with the help of marshals in hi-vis jackets.

A second group of about 100 protesters then met with the first, having arrived from Gobowen train station and marched past Wats Meadow, including members of the Ludlow and Bridgnorth campaign groups, in a show of solidarity.

Liz Grayston, founder of the Save Oswestry Maternity Unit campaign and a mum of four, led the march, with cries of "rural maternity matters" and "babies not budgets".

She said: "We are protesting at the current 'temporary' closure of our units in Oswestry, Ludlow and Bridgnorth in order to prioritise the units at Telford, and at the proposed introduction of an on-call midwife system across rural Shropshire, in itself getting rid of hospital care after giving birth and at the lack of public consultation of any of this. We're not happy and mean to be heard.

"We say no to the proposed model of on-call midwives at the units that will bring post-natal hospital care to an end."

She said she was delighted with the strong support.

"The big turn-out typifies how strongly people feel about this unit and the health service.

"This is a hugely important battle," she said.

Many local families, and even a Star Wars stormtrooper, took part in the march and said they were determined to oppose the closures amid fears the units could be permanently closed.

The father in full Star Wars costume identified himself only as Gary the Stormtrooper, but said the Oswestry unit had been key in his son's birth.

He said the unit was not just for the birth itself but essential for after-care.

He said: "My son started at Oswestry but got stuck half way so he was rushed to Shrewsbury. The care in Oswestry was great but as soon as we got to Shrewsbury it felt like a factory.

"My partner had the child and came back to Oswestry for after-care, I can't knock the service there. It would be an absolute shame if the unit had to close."

Craig Emery, a member of Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council, said his daughter Alice was born six weeks ago in Telford and his wife Kate received post-natal care at the Oswestry unit.

Mr Emery said: "We just found it really helpful to have the unit here. The post natal care was invaluable.

"She was born in Telford because the unit here was closed at the time."

William Greenwood from Llansilin added: "Decisions about our local health services are being taken by people sitting in boardrooms about 30 miles from here. My grandson was born six weeks ago and local health services are so important to the community."

Mum Amber Lyon said her son Emrys was also born in Telford due to the closure of the Oswestry maternity unit.

Shropshire Councillor for Oswestry South Paul Milner attended the protest at the orthopaedic hospital.

He said: "The large turn-out to the protest shows how important this is to local people.

"We don't want to see any health service move further away from Oswestry.

"The units are closed at the moment and we don't know if they will even open."

SaTH says the suspension of the units is due to patient safety and will be reviewed in three months.

The trust has seen a combination of short-term and long-term sickness in recent months, as well as a significant fall in the number of midwives prepared to work overtime or temporary bank shifts to cover for colleagues at times of sickness, health bosses say.

Deirdre Fowler, director of nursing, midwifery and quality at SaTH, said: “The safety of mothers and babies using our service is our number one priority and this proposal, albeit difficult, is something we have given careful consideration.

“We recognise the significant impact that this may have on some of the women we care for about their planned place of birth and we are sorry for this.

"We have taken into account the many comments received regarding short-notice closures and recognise that the women we care for need assurance about their place of birth.

"For this reason, we have made the most difficult decision to suspend some services for a defined period of time whilst we work up alternative longer-term sustainable options. I would encourage any woman using our service who has concerns or questions about how this will affect them to discuss their birth options with their midwife.”

She said women due to give birth at the affected units during this period will be able to access their midwife as usual and be offered a birth at an alternative location such as Shrewsbury or Wrekin MLU, the consultant-led unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford or a home birth if appropriate.

Midwives will continue to be available to provide advice 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, she said.