Unhappy Melton MP to meet NHS bosses after baby unit fails to reopen for births
Melton’s MP is seeking an urgent meeting with local NHS bosses following this week’s news that the pausing of births at the town’s baby unit is being extended beyond the six-month deadline.
Edward Argar, who joined hundreds of local campaigners in last summer’s rally in support of St Mary’s Birth Centre, said it was ‘very disappointing news’ that the local health board appeared to have no intention of restarting key maternity services at the Thorpe Road site.
There has been cross-party support for the baby unit with the Conservative MP being joined in criticising the decision by the Labour leader of Melton Borough Council, Councillor Pip Allnatt, who described the reasons given as ‘deeply insulting to staff’.
The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLRICB) has said the birth centre must stay closed because staffing issues make it unsafe and that a low number of births and rising costs make it financially unviable.
Families in the Melton area are instead being directed to hospitals in Leicester to give birth or to have their babies at home.
Reacting to the news that the pausing of births and inpatient post-natal services was being extended indefinitely, Mr Argar told the Melton Times: “This further extension of the 'temporary pause' to births at St Mary's Birth Centre is very disappointing news to me as Melton's local MP, and will be to the local community and campaigners.
"I have been struck by just how many local people have been in touch since July highlighting the fantastic service and care they had previously received at SMBC.
“While it is vital that St Mary’s Birth Centre has the safe levels of staffing it needs, and that safety is always put first, these past six months should have been being used to develop a plan to recruit more staff, and to better promote and publicise St Mary's' services to increase their use, but we have yet to see such a plan.”
The MP said he was seeking to meet with the chief executive of the ICB and the Universal Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to discuss the latest development.
“I will be pressing them not to allow ways to restore services to St Mary's to be timed-out, and to highlighting the powerful call by local mums and campaigners during August's protest march in Melton of 'Hear our Voices; Respect our Choices',” he added.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the community and local campaigners to do what I can to help ensure local voices are heard by the NHS."
Councillor Allnatt was scathing of the health board’s decision not to restore services at St Mary’s, commenting: “This is the wrong decision for the wrong reasons and deeply insulting to staff.
“The report perpetuates the lie that there is a safety issue.
“It is a staffing issue and indeed the most recent assessment of St Mary’s is that it is good and better than other birthing units in our region.”
He said the strategy of centralising maternity services in Leicester was ‘stupid’ and took no account of the requirements of families living in rural areas like Melton and Rutland.
The council leader also said the health board’s new consultation process with families and staff impacted by the pausing was ‘patronising and risible’.