A three month consultation on options for the future of maternity services in east Kent begins on Friday 14 October.
A series of public meetings, presented by GPs, hospital consultants and midwives, will take place in November and December to support the consultation and give members of the public the chance to ask questions. The 28 page consultation document, plus a 12 page summary version and online feedback form, will be available from 12noon on 14 October on the NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent website (www.easternandcoastalkent.nhs.uk/maternityreview).
Paper copies will be available from GP surgeries (these will be dispatched over the next week), children’s centres and birthing centres. Further copies are available – just email eck-pct.maternityreview@nhs.net or call 0800 085 6606.
The consultation is being led by NHS Kent and Medway and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. The two organisations have been reviewing services during the past six months and talking to patients, public, expectant parents, parents and midwives about their experience of maternity services. The review has been prompted due to the changing patterns of where women are choosing to give birth and a rising birth rate. More and more women are choosing to give birth at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford while the use of Canterbury and Dover Birth Centres is declining.
To maintain high standards of safety and ensure all our mothers continue to get one to one care in labour, the trusts have temporarily suspended births at Canterbury and transferred some of the midwives to the labour ward at Ashford.
This is a temporary solution and the purpose of the consultation is to find a more permanent one that reflects the choices women are making about where they give birth, meets the needs of the rising birth rate and makes the best use of NHS resources. The NHS has now come up with a number options, which it is asking for the public’s view on.
Dr Sarah Montgomery, an east Kent GP who is chairing the review, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the review so far through our patient experience survey and roadshow events. We have used these responses to help us to develop the options in the formal consultation document."
“We are consulting widely on this issue. As well as parents and parents-to-be we have been talking to local GPs, midwives, health visitors and other medical professionals, local authority members and voluntary sector organisations".
“We are holding a series of public meetings throughout November and December. Meetings will be held during the day and in the evenings in various locations to ensure that everyone gets a chance to come along, ask questions and hear the issues for themselves".
“We know that people feel strongly about maternity services and the safety of mothers and babies. We would like to encourage everyone who has an interest in this review to read the consultation document, and attend a meeting if possible where we will try to answer any questions as clearly and honestly as we can. There is no need to book a place at the meetings, just turn up on the day.”
Public meetings
DOVER - Thursday 3 November 2011 - 6 to 8pm
Dover Town Hall,
Biggin Street,
Dover, CT16 1DL.
CANTERBURY - Tuesday 8 November 2011 - 10am to 12noon
Northgate Community Centre,
Military Road,
Canterbury,
CT1 1YX.
ASHFORD - Friday 18 November 2011 - 12.30pm to 2pm
The Ray Allen Centre,
Stanhope Road,
Stanhope,
Ashford,
TN23 5RN.
FAVERSHAM - Tuesday 22 November 2011 - 1pm to 3pm and 5pm to 7pm
The Alexander Centre,
Preston Street,
Faversham,
ME13 8NY.
FOLKESTONE - Tuesday 29 November 2011 - 10am to 12noon
University Centre Folkestone,
The Glassworks,
Mill Bay,
Tontine Street,
Folkestone,
CT20 1JG.
DOVER - Thursday 1 December 2011 - 12noon to 2pm
The Ark Dover,
Noah’s Ark Road,
Dover,
CT17 0DD.
MARGATE - Monday, 12 December 2011 - 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Millmead Children’s Centre,
Dane Valley Road,
Margate,
CT9 3RU.
CANTERBURY - Tuesday, 13 December 2011 - 6pm to 8pm
The Westgate Hall,
Westgate Hall Road,
Canterbury,
CT1 2BT.
