Yesterday several Silver Star mums went to County Hall, Oxford at 10am to hear Andrew Stevens, Board member of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust responsible for Planning and Information answer questions that have also been raised by the Silver Star Society. Mr.John Sanders, Councillor for Cowley and Littlemore, questioned Andrew Stevens at a normal scheduled meeting of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He particularly pressed him for a date for reopening the Level 6 (Silver Star) ward, since Mr Stevens stated that the ward was not closed, but temporarily relocated onto the 5th floor. Mr. Stevens, despite being a board member and obviously briefed on the whole Silver Star issue, was unable to give a date. He was told by John Sanders that it was essential that a date be announced without delay, and should be inside a week. Even a 'cautious date' (i.e. something like by October, November, Christmas) would be acceptable in order to calm fears. This was also later stressed in a discussion after the meeting with Susan Brown (JR Press Officer) who was present at the meeting.
So the Trust has agreed to come back with a date within a week (which would mean that they have to say something to the Scrutiny Committee Chairman by 15th July at the latest). They have been advised to say something even sooner ('within days') to relieve the current concern.
Andrew Stevens also denied that there had been any cause for concern last summer. He denied that there had been an increase in Caesarean sections, or that women with babies needing neonatal care were turned away because there were no beds, or that inductions were frequently deferred from one shift to the next because of the strain that staff were under and the shortage of beds, and that women were left to labour in corridors because there were no delivery rooms available, because there was nowhere to move mums who had delivered to. He claimed that this was not true, or no worse than at other times. However a document that we have seen from those responsible for looking after mums last year states ' one of the effects of this ward closure (L6) …was a loss of an organised way of offering care. – It became custom and practice to defer work (including inductions of labour) from one shift to another. – The caesarean section rate increased immediately… We were forced to turn away women referred for…neonatal care because there was nowhere to put these women…' The Trust has not answered any of the concerns raised, and just flatly denied them.
Mr. Steven's claims that 'our plans are more robust this year' has to be questioned. Management have repeatedly failed to respond to the documented concerns sent to them by consultants since October last year, and management has totally failed to involve the consultants, who have to deliver this service and who are ultimately responsible for the safety of mums and babies, in the planning for this move. One consultant only found out about it this Monday as did ward managers.
One other issue raised by Andrew Stevens was that the BBC in its lead story on the Level 6 closure on Monday 5th July did not ask or want the Trust's version of events, and they have made a formal complaint against the BBC. We believe this to be untrue. We know that the Trust was asked several times by at least two different people from the BBC for someone prepared to do an interview and no one came forward. They failed to send a statement till a couple of minutes before the story went out at 6.30pm giving the BBC no other option than trying to summarise their statement as there was no time to reedit the story to include the full statement.
Over 2,600 petition signatories so far:
On a happier note…. We have over 2,600 petition signatories and rising by the hundred. Please keep on letting people know. Although we are fighting for the retention of proper integrated care for mums with high risk pregnancies we are also fighting for the safe delivery of all mums and babies attending JR maternity services. Keep signing the petition and putting comments on Face book. We especially welcome accounts of your experiences if you were in the maternity unit last summer. Thank you for your support. We will continue fighting until the service is restored and safe.
The Silver Star Society 9th July 2010 |
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