Government Plans Highlight Threat to Maternity Care in Bedford

6.07.57pm GMT Fri 9th Feb 2007

Christine McHugh says that Bedford Hospital's Doctor-led Maternity Unit must not be closed in order to cut costs

Bedford Liberal Democrats have slammed government plans to move full childbirth facilities for mothers-to-be away from hospitals such as Bedford and into regional super-centres.

A report published this week by the Government's 'maternity tsar' proposes that hospitals across the country be stripped of consultant-led maternity services. This is in line with central Government's plans to take specialist services out of local hospitals and into regional 'super hospitals.'

This announcement comes shortly after Bedford Hospital's own consultation document 'Defining Our Future Role' conceded that budget pressures could lead to the closure of its consultant-led maternity service. The same document contains the alarming admission that the greater distances that mothers would be forced to travel to give birth "would result in increased risk to delivery en route."

Commenting on the issue, Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader Cllr Christine McHugh said:

"Mothers-to-be must not be made to suffer because of the Government's drive towards regionalised health services. The entire process of closing local services and creating regional 'super hospitals' is back to front and driven by financial panic.

'Bedford Hospital's own view is that the closure of its consultant-led maternity service will result in increased risk to mothers and babies. Yet now the Government has confirmed that it will seek to shut down such services as part of its drive to cut costs and move health services away from local people.

'This serves as another chilling warning to everyone who believes that essential local health services must remain at Bedford Hospital. Maternity care should be available to mothers in the setting which will benefit them the most. Instead we are faced with the appalling prospect of mothers and babies being placed at greater risk due to the Government's desperate attempts to save money."