Maternity Engagement: the future of healthcare in West, East and North Cumbria
Download (PDF 303.55 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Cumbria was asked to undertake additional engagement to support work on the NHS Success Regime in relation to maternity care. They spoke to 273 people.
From the conversations held with women and their families the key points raised were:
That the people spoken to want services to remain accessible and local.
People expressed fears that there is more likely to be fatalities of mothers and their babies if they are transferred during labour and feeling that these risks are being taken lightly. Overall, people feel mothers and babies are being placed at greater risk and are concerned about the unnecessary dangers they could face as a result of the proposed changes.
People stated that even low risk pregnancies can lead to emergency deliveries and if babies have to be delivered quickly people are worried about how this would happen with no intrapartum care (care during labour) by consultants at West Cumberland Hospital (WCH) and a long transfer time to Cumberland Infirmary Carlisle (CIC).
The rurality of the area was raised as an issue that makes accessing services difficult.
There was anxiety expressed by people over the distances involved, difficult driving conditions, and average journey times over an hour when travelling to Carlisle. It was raised that there is only one road between West and North Cumbria to carry out transfers and concerns about what would happen if this road was closed.
The lack of access to transport was raised as an issue as this makes it difficult for family and friends to visit and would also have an emotional and financial impact upon families if women from West Cumbria delivered in Carlisle.
People expressed that it is a waste of the new site opened at WCH if it is not fully utilised. Questions were also asked about how facilities and resources at CIC would be used to cope with an increase in maternity patients.
People are worried about the lack of available ambulances and if there will be enough emergency transport to carry out transfers