Maidstone’s battle to keep its maternity service continues Reportby MASH chairman Dennis Fowle Danger of long journeys for pregnant mums
NEWresearch shows women in labour who take 20 minutes or more to get from their home to hospital by car are more likely to suffer adverse neonatal outcomes. The review, published in BJOG (an inter- national journal on obstetrics and gynae- cology) says journeys of more than 20
BOTH KCC and Maidstone Council have turned on the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, for his decision to back a move of maternity and children’s services from Maidstone Hospital to Pembury. KCC health scrutiny committee passed a
four-part motion with only Maidstone Lib- Dem councillor Dan Daley voting against. It expresses “profound disappointment”
with a decision which overrides a near- unanimous view of the committee and Maidstone area GPs. It also backs the view of Maidstone MP
Helen Grant and campaign group MASH that his decision should not be imple- mented before he empowers GPs to com- mission clinical services and “determine the future scope of maternity provision in the county town”. KCC agreed to monitor the impact of his
YEAR 10 students from In- victa Grammar School or- ganised a buggy race as part of their campaign opposing the closure of the maternity ward at Maidstone Hospital and its move to Pembury Hospital. The campaign started as a citizenship project but now the whole school has be- come involved. The girls have called their project MUM – Mothers United in Maidstone. To raise awareness, Year 10 pupils have addressed as- semblies, designed and dis- played flyers and organised events such as a cake sale, quiz and the buggy race, which brought together the whole school on the astro turf one lunchtime. Students have been de-
lighted to receive letters of support from local MPs Helen Grant and Hugh
minutes are associated with “increased in- cidence of intrapartum/ neonatal mortality and adverse outcomes”. The journal says: “This paper highlights
the need to have a good service accessible to women wherever they live.” Local campaign group MASH is currently
Two councils turn on Health Secretary
decision on the number of admissions to consultant-led maternity units at Medway and Ashford. With shortages of midwives and tempo-
rary closures of birthing units in East Kent, KCC wants an urgent review of all birthing units and consultant-led maternity services across Kent. The motion was proposed by Maidstone county councillors Jenny Whittle and Gary Cooke and supported by members “bewil- dered” by the decision due to “appalling links to Pembury”. Another letter to Mr Lansley goes from Maidstone Council’s cabinet member for community services John Wilson who ex- presses “disappointment and concern” and writes of “the negative impact on our bor- ough residents”. He asks Mr Lansley to re- consider his decision.
Pupils’ buggy race supports campaign
seeking public help as it compiles an au- thentic record of car journey times from Maidstone town centre (All Saints Church) to Pembury, Ashford and Medway hospitals at different times of the day. Campaigners say peak-time journeys to Pembury can take an hour and the shortest time is 30minutes.
Weaknesses exposed in trust’s decision
WEAKNESSES in the decision to close Maidstone Hospital’s consultant-led birthing and inpatient children’s services are being highlighted by public and patient body Kent Link. Priorities panel member Robin Ridsdill-
Smith is calling for these improvements: CHILDREN: He says the plan for a day-
care unit of 13 beds (six day-case beds, six assessment beds and one high dependency room) from 8am to 8pm with a paediatric consultant on-call from Pembury is inade- quate. He calls for a larger unit available on a 24-hour basis with full-time cover by a trained paediatrician. MATERNITY should be under supervi-
sion of an obstetric consultant. TRANSPORT: He says he is most con- cerned by the indefinite nature of public transport links. He sees greater demand for visitor facilities. PARKING: He also has concerns about shortage of patient/visitor parking. He adds: “A number of patients in Maid-
stone area will be disadvantaged. These will include not only the financially, phys- ically and ethnically disadvantaged but also those living in nearby villages with poor transport connections. There must be ade- quate, affordable transport for these groups.’
Minister looked at options
SECRETARY of State Andrew Lansley put options to the hospital trust in November and December to keep maternity and chil- dren’s services at Maidstone – but the trust would have none of them. Minutes of a trust meeting on December 9
report questions from Mr Lansley about whether the trust had explored various op- tions.
These included “full centralisation or
Robertson. Borough Cllr John A Wilson, cabinet member for community services, was also due to
RESIDENTS have been warned of the threat of bogus charity collectors after two men claiming they were representing the Salvation Army were reported going door-to-door in Weavering Street asking for people’s credit card details. Genuine Salvation Army collectors wear badges
to identify themselves and carry a permit, which they will produce on request. They will only ask for cash donations, which will be put in a sealed collecting tin. No Salvation Army personnel are
meet the students during their citizenship lesson to discuss and support the campaign.
none at all; to centralise paediatrics and not maternity; or defer all decisions for 12 months”. Trust chief executive Glenn Douglas told
the meeting all options had been rejected by the trust as they would lead to a period of uncertainty and not be clinically safe.
Warning over bogus charity collectors
collecting door-to-door at present in the Maid- stone area. The Salvation Army officer in Maidstone, Major
GraysonWilliams, said: “The Salvation Army de- pends on the goodwill and support of the public to be able to carry out a wide range of social and community work, and we are sorry that people are being deceived in this way. “We are very concerned that people may think
StValentine’s dance will boosthall funds
A St Valentine’s dance will be held at HarrietshamVillage Hall, in Church Lane, on Saturday, February 12, in aid of hall funds. Dancing will be to Kudos from 8 to 11.30pm. Tickets: adults £12.50; children (over 8) £7, from 01233 635552 or 01622 859532. Bring your own drinks and nibbles (complimentary drink on each table).
14 East
they are donating to The Salvation Army when in fact we will receive nothing from these bogus collectors.We are working with Kent Police to try to get these bogus collec- tions stopped.” Anyone with any informa-
tion about bogus collectors should call Kent Police on 01622 690690.
Invitation to fun
in the lion’s den THERE is an open invitation to the next “Hands On Church” service for children, from birth to 10 years, with their parents, families and friends, on Sun- day, February 27, at Detling Church, starting at 3pm. This month the theme will be Daniel in the Lion’s Den. There will be singing, a story, and an activity.
Everyone can join in the very relaxed and informal service which will last about 30 to 40 minutes. There will then be light re- freshments and an opportunity to chat before going home.
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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