It was unfortunate that the article in the Evening Standard article on this report led on maternity services with an unsubstantiated claim that midwife-led
maternity units are unsafe. In particular, it claimed that freestanding units were unsafe compared to midwifery unit on the same site as obstetric units. This is what the RCOG wants to believe, contrary to evidence from the Birthplace Programme
https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/birthplace This showed that, for women without complications, planning to give birth in a midwifery unit is as safe for the baby as giving birth in an obstetric unit, and has lower
rates of intervention for the mother and is more cost effective. Most midwifery units have a different philosophy of care from obstetric units This has been shown in a considerable body of recent research on midwifery units, including a freestanding midwifery
unit in Tower Hamlets. It is completely wrong to describe them as ‘downgraded’ maternity units.
While we could do with more midwifery units, they are obviously not for women with complications who need obstetric care. Plans to withdraw and centralise obstetric
care are a separate issue. There has been no research to compare obstetric units by size and no evidence that larger obstetric units are better or safer than smaller ones. Given a series of enquiries about problems in huge centralised units, surely it is time
some research was done, given threats of centralisation. It is a pity the report didn’t call for this research, instead of attacking free-standing midwifery units.
Alison Macfarlane
From: Caroline Molloy [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 21 March 2014 08:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: blog by john lister on 'London's NHS at a Crossroads' report
Of interest even to non-Londoners!
yours
Caroline
(ex-Londoner)
--
mobile 07931 302507 / tel 01453 753700
@carolinejmolloy