No decisions have been made yet but the future of the midwife-led birthing centre is in doubt
An underused South London birthing centre could shut as the hospital trust it’s attached to faces huge financial pressures. The NHS trust which runs St George’s Hospital, in Tooting, is reviewing the future of the Carmen Birth Centre, but has not made any decisions yet.
A new report by St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was looking at more effective ways to run services due to a steep fall in births, given there were other birthing centres nearby. A birthing centre is different from a hospital maternity unit as it is run by midwives and is generally in a more relaxed atmosphere, however complicated or high risk births are normally done on a maternity unit in case surgery or specialist intervention is needed.
The trust is looking at options for the future of the centre, which include shutting it and setting up a dedicated room for midwifery-led care at St George’s Delivery Suite. Most people give birth at the suite, which is separate from the two-room centre.
Wandsworth Council’s Health Committee heard more details of the review at a meeting on Wednesday (September 17), when the trust gave an update on its performance and other key issues.
Conservative councillor George Crivelli acknowledged most people gave birth in the hospital’s delivery suite anyway, but said he was still concerned “you may well be taking away a choice and a service that is available to women giving birth”.
Kate Slemeck, the trust’s Managing Director, told the meeting the NHS could not “deliver every service in every organisation given the financial climate we’re operating in”.
She said the birth centre was underused because most high-risk mums came to St George’s, and tended not to be able to use it, with other birth centres better set up to support those who wanted a midwifery-led birth.
Ms Slemeck said: “A decision hasn’t been made on this but we’re looking at options, one of which would be to close the current birth centre as it’s currently operating and to move that activity to another bit of our organisation.”
She added: “We are under enormous financial pressure and we need to make sure we’re using resources productively and effectively – that is incumbent on us to make sure we’re using taxpayers’ money effectively.”
The trust is currently undertaking a £95million savings programme. When pressed by Councillor Crivelli, Ms Slemeck said she was confident the hospital could maintain the same standard of service in the delivery suite if it made these changes.
The trust will consult with staff, patients, residents, MPs and local authorities before making any decisions.
The report said: “With a steep fall in the number of people having babies, the Carmen Birthing Centre is significantly underused and with several other birthing centres nearby, there may be more effective ways we can continue to offer choice to local people. No decisions have been made, and we will be taking on board the views of our staff, patients and communities before making any changes.
“This unit is separate from the St George’s Delivery Suite where midwives work alongside obstetric and anaesthetic colleagues and the majority of women – 97 per cent – give birth. There is also space and capacity in the delivery suite to provide a dedicated room for midwifery-led care as the number of births is small.”
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