A recent report has revealed that nearly one-third of maternity units have refused to offer expectant mothers home births as they are unable to cope with the demand.
Half of maternity wards have refused to entertain mothers since they are unable to meet the demand.
Large-scale Closures of Urban Maternity Units Has Caused Increase in Newborn Mortality
After a series of Philadelphia hospitals started closing their maternity units in 1997, infant mortality rates increased by nearly 50 percent over the next three years.
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The Royal College of Midwives departments have actually called their status as "bursting at the seams" because they are facing huge staff shortages and are not able to care for women in labor.
Nearly 50% of units had refused women in the past year and many women had to travel miles in search of hospital.
The survey also found that nearly 46% of NHS heads of maternity had decided to temporarily close their unit due to their immobility to cope with the demands. One unit confessed to 61 closures in the last year.
![High Birth Rate Exerting Pressure on Maternity Units]( "High Birth Rate Exerting Pressure on Maternity Units")
UK is trying to grapple with a high birth rate - one birth every 40 seconds- which is putting a lot of strain on the maternity units.
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "The midwifery shortages and cuts to services it describes will have a detrimental impact on the care women, babies and their families receive. This shows a service that sometimes severely restricts the choices available to women, is struggling to provide continuity of care and is bursting at the seams in its ability to cope. Before closures happen services have been already stretched to their limit and closing is the point at which safety could be compromised if that does not happen."
Source: Medindia
The survey also found that nearly 46% of NHS heads of maternity had decided to temporarily close their unit due to their immobility to cope with the demands. One unit confessed to 61 closures in the last year.
High Birth Rate Exerting Pressure on Maternity Units
UK is trying to grapple with a high birth rate - one birth every 40 seconds- which is putting a lot of strain on the maternity units.
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Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "The midwifery shortages and cuts to services it describes will have a detrimental impact on the care women, babies and their families receive. This shows a service that sometimes severely restricts the choices available to women, is struggling to provide continuity of care and is bursting at the seams in its ability to cope. Before closures happen services have been already stretched to their limit and closing is the point at which safety could be compromised if that does not happen."
Source: Medindia
Are Midwife Led Maternity Units Safe?
The UK government claims it is trying to give women more choice by converting local maternity units to midwife led services. But are they safe?
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