The MP for Crowborough has described the NHS decision to stop birthing services at Crowborough Hospital as “unacceptable”.
Speaking after an emergency meeting today (Friday) with bosses from the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, Nusrat Ghani said it was a “dire situation” and said she would continue to fight to ensure the service was resumed in May next year.
The Crowborough News broke the news yesterday that because of staff shortages in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, births at Crowborough would stop from 2 Oct until May next year.
The NHS Trust has not responded to a Crowborough News request for a definitive promise that the services will resume in May, other than to say that its statement clearly gives the timeline for the suspension of services.
Following today’s meeting Nusrat said: “This afternoon, I convened a meeting with representatives from Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and Trustees of The Friends of Crowborough Hospital to discuss further the decision to pause births at Crowborough Birthing Centre from next month until May next year.
“I appreciate that the trust is faced with staffing challenges and that patient safety always takes priority. However, it is a dire situation, unacceptable to mums-to-be in Crowborough, Sussex Weald, and across the South East.”
She said local women deserved a choice. “We have been here before, and I will continue working with The Friends of Crowborough Hospital, as I have done for the past 10 years, to ensure that the service is resumed and sustained for years to come.”
Nusrat has started a petition which has already attracted 1,500 signatures and intends to continue the fight. “I am hugely grateful to over 1,500 submissions made already, highlighting the importance of the service. Please continue to share your views with me, so that we can put pressure on the Trust and present data that clearly shows how needed and valuable the Birthing Centre is and that by prolonged closures, they are denying women the choice to have their babies in Crowborough.” She added
Kay Moss, Chair of The Friends Of Crowborough Hospital, said: “The Friends of Crowborough Hospital would like to thank Nus Ghani MP for facilitating a meeting and opening up lines of communication with the MTW Trust. We hope that working together, we can expedite the resumption of births at Crowborough Birthing Unit, giving local women the choices they deserve as to where they would like to give birth.”
To sign the petition visit: http://www.nusghani.org.uk/birthingcentre