Causeway Hospital Campaign group challenge maternity threat

A Causeway Hospital Campaign group spokeswoman said: “A recent Maternity Review places emphasis away from the Consultant-led care, which is expensive, to Community care, led by General Practioners (GPs) and Midwives. It would place emphasis on Pre-conception, Anti-natal and Post-natal care. GPs have not been involved in Pre-natal care for more than 10 years and yet they would be the cornerstone of the review.

“Causeway Maternity is a high risk consultant–led unit which provides a safe place for local expectant mothers. The unit delivers mothers with complications of pregnancies and medical problems such as diabetes melitus, hypertension etc. Only mothers with significant heart problems or congenital foetal malformations are transferred to the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast.

“Women with gestation diabetes melitus who are on insulin are transferred to Antrim hospital for delivery. If mothers are likely to deliver before 35 weeks, they are transferred to a unit with an available special-care baby cot.

“The Causeway Maternity Unit should be staffed by sufficient Doctors and Midwives to provide a low level of care for babies requiring for example, I.V. fluids, rather than transferring them to other hospitals,” said the CHC, which is made up of medics, health service personnel and community members.

“In the last 5 years, the deliveries at Causeway have increased from 1,000 to 1,450 per year. This is despite a reduction in medical and midwifery staff.

“Causeway Hospital serves a large rural area which includes Ballycastle. There is a large seasonal increase in population with holidaymakers throughout the holiday seasons. The Causeway Maternity unit takes care of visiting maternity patients.

“Antrim Hospital has eight Consultant Obstetricians. The birth rate in Antrim has dropped from 3,000 to 2,600 per year.

“In the next 3-5years it is probable that the Causeway Maternity will be closed and will lose its Consultants. It may be downgraded to a midwifery-led unit. What would be the implications for local expectant mothers? Far fewer births would take place at the Causeway. Any mother with a history of forceps delivery or other problems requiring a Consultant, would be transferred to Antrim.

“A mother found to present a problem during labour, would be transferred, requiring up to an hour of travel at a critical stage. Will babies die unnecessarily? Will there be at best, maternal distress and at worst, maternal death because of the lack of consultant-led care, within a reasonable, safe range?

“For Causeway Maternity Unit to run safely and to effectively serve its population, it should be staffed adequately, by both Midwives and Medical staff. “Will local expectant mothers and their families allow closure of their local Consultant-led Causeway Maternity Unit?” concluded the CHC.