The proposal to fragment maternity services by giving pregnant women a £3,000 “personal budget” to spend as they wish is indeed a formula for chaos and destabilising core maternity services.
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She said: “With safety that’s paramount isn’t it?”
‘Choice is essential when deciding how and where to give birth but it is crucial that expectant parents have access to the information they need in order to make decisions based on their individual needs, ‘ said Alex Neill at Which? They would then make decisions about how and where they receive care.
Figures from NHS England show that 124,143 safety incidents were reported by NHS hospital maternity units last year, a number which has increased by four per cent on the previous year when 119,561 were reported.
The authors of the National Maternity Review likened the scheme to personal health budgets, where people with long-term conditions and disabilities are given a say over how NHS money is spent on them.
The overhaul is also aimed at improving safety in maternity services.
Despite these future challenges, the review also identified much good practice.
“It is so important that they are supported through what can be a wonderful and life-changing experience”. Silly women with their unrealistic and downright irresponsible ideas about birth can’t be the ones who decide what happens to their bodies in pregnancy because it’s just not safe for the baby.
“I appreciate that most mistakes are classed as “near misses” or low injury but alarmingly 151 women and newborns died previous year with another 351 suffering severe harm”, said Ms Bours, North West MEP.
We welcome Baroness Julia Cumberlege’s report and will help support the NHS to find ways to provide more effective, quality care to families.
Under the proposed scheme, women would be told about all local providers of NHS care and the services they offer.
Siva Anandaciva, head of analysis at NHS Providers, said: “Our members – NHS trusts and foundation trusts – tell us that the demand for obstetric and midwifery services is increasing, as well as the complexity of requirements with some mothers needing more specialised and costly care”.
Other priorities named in the review were: continuity of carer; safer care and a culture of honesty when things go wrong; better mental health care for pregnant women and new mothers; improved joint working between midwives, obstetricians and other health professionals; cross-boundary working in the commissioning and provision of maternity services.
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NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said the review had set out a five-year strategy the health service could now work towards.
