I may leave Shropshire to have my baby, says mother with maternity service worries
An expectant mother says she is considering leaving the county to give birth as the row over Shropshire’s maternity units deepens.
Liz Haines says she is too scared to travel the 30 miles from her home to the county’s only currently operational birthing unit in Telford.
But hospital bosses have moved to reassure her and say the county will have improved services.
Currently the situation with maternity units in Shropshire has seen the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital maternity unit closed due to roof damage, and people are currently having to travel to Telford, with the rural units at Ludlow, Oswestry and Bridgnorth all closed.
A new model was put forward at a meeting of health bosses last week, which will see women giving birth in Telford, Shrewsbury or at home, and postnatal care taking place at ‘maternity hubs’ in the rural towns. The plans have angered campaigners, and expectant mother Ms Haines is even considering moving in with her mother in Wiltshire.
Ms Haines lives on a dairy farm in Ellesmere and says she is scared by the thought of having to travel over 30 miles to Telford when she goes into labour.
She said: “My baby is not due until July but I do feel affected by the planned closure of Oswestry MLU. In fact I feel very frightened about my options for giving birth.
“Telford is around 30 miles away, and it is difficult for my husband to leave the farm for long periods of time, let alone what a horrible experience it will be to travel that distance when in labour.
“My first labour started at the MLU in Oswestry but due to complications I was sent by ambulance to Wrexham against my wishes as I was told Telford was too far.
“I had a horrendous experience resulting in my son being born by forceps and me ending up in theatre with a severe haematoma which was slow to be picked up and having multiple blood transfusions and I refuse to ever go there again.”
The expectant mother would like to have a home birth but is worried about complications.
She believes everyone should have access to safe birthing facilities, even in rural areas.
She added: “I would love to have a home birth but feel frightened that if I have complications again I will be sent to Wrexham. So Telford feels like my only option.
“But they will be so over stretched if dealing with all the other ladies from the other closed MLUs, as well as the distance factor.
“I am strongly considering going to stay with my mother in Wiltshire and having the baby there.
“I feel so passionately that everyone should have access to safe, properly staffed, local birthing facilities, even in rural areas. No one should face dilemmas like this in this day and age.”
The review of the rural units will now be presented to Telford CCG in January.
Now the model will be presented to Telford CCG on January 9 before going out to consultation at a later date.
Dr Jess Sokolov, Shropshire CCG’s Clinical Lead for the midwife led services review speaking on behalf of both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs, said: “It is inaccurate that this mother will have to travel more than 30 miles while in labour. Shrewsbury is just 16.9 miles away from Ellesmere and Wrexham Maelor is 14 miles away offering midwife led and consultant led care.
"Under the current system there is a risk that mums-to-be will not get one-to-one care through their labour and that an MLU may potentially have to close again in the future due to staff shortages. This new proposal addresses those issues by putting midwives in the places where they are needed most.”
