New group will continue fight for better maternity services in Leicestershire
Campaigners who fought in vain to retain key services at Melton Mowbray’s baby unit have announced a new initiative to ensure the voices of families continue to be heard in relation to local maternity services.
Members of Save St Mary’s Birth Centre lamented the ‘utterly devastating’ decision back in March by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) to end births and inpatient postnatal care at the Thorpe Road site following a public engagement exercise.
The group have not given up their quest to improve maternity services, however, and under their new name of St Mary’s Birth Campaign Group they have partnered with the local MNVP (Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership).
The St Mary’s campaign group’s leaders, Anna Foster and Helen Cliff, have released a statement explaining how the link-up will work.
They stated: “After decades of campaign work and drum banging it would have been easy to have just packed up and gone home deflated.
“But that’s never been us!
“Whilst the decision stands, what we did achieve was a commitment by the ICB and UHL NHS Trust to continue listening to the concerns raised throughout our campaign and to work with us on what comes next in the maternity offering across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
“Over the past few months, we have been busy exploring the best avenue to make this happen and to further our interests in the most constructive way.
“As a result of several meetings with key stakeholders, we are delighted to announce that we have been invited to partner with the local MNVP through establishing a dedicated sub-committee called, St Mary’s Voices.
“This will ensure a clear mechanism through which we can still be heard at a strategic level, as critical decisions continue to be taken about the development of local maternity care.”
Anyone who is passionate about ensuring families have access to high quality maternity services is invited to visit valonlineorg.uk/mnvp or email [email protected] to get get involved or to get further information.
The campaign group leaders added: “We hope to have lots of our campaign warriors with us on the journey as we continue to advocate for all that was so special about St Mary’s Birth Centre.”
Jane Hunt, strategic lead at the LLR MNVP said this of our new partnership: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with the St Mary’s Birth Campaign Group as part of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland MNVP.
"Their involvement will help ensure the legacy of St Mary’s continues to influence the development of maternity services, including the Birth Centre at Leicester General Hospital.
“Listening to women and families, understanding their experiences and using that feedback to improve services is at the heart of what the MNVP does.
"Together, we can help ensure local maternity care continues to evolve in response to the needs of the communities it serves.”
St Mary’s Birth Centre, on Thorpe Road, remains open but with reduced services – ante-natal and post-natal clinics, home visiting and infant-feeding support.
Families can also access midwife-led units at Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, get consultant-led care or support from the Home Birth Team.