Midwives accuse trust on staff levels

Mar 27 2008 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

WALES’ newest maternity unit is more than 30 midwives short of “safe levels”, NHS staff claimed.

A group of midwives at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, said there is a shortage of senior staff at the £3.7m maternity unit as a result of cost-cutting measures.

And they have spoken of a “culture of bullying, intimidation and systematic exclusion” within the trust.

Their concerns come as a major redevelopment of maternity facilities in Newport has just been completed.

More than 3,300 babies – almost nine a day – were delivered at the hospital last year. The unit is also a centre for high-risk births in the region.

Health Minister Edwina Hart, who officially opened the unit earlier this month, said at the time, “Having a baby is a special time and the experience should be positive and made as normal as possible. The substantial additions to the maternity service at the Royal Gwent should greatly improve the experiences for everyone involved.”

But the group of midwives, who are represented by Unison and involved in a dispute with cash-strapped Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, claim a restructuring exercise has left the unit 31 midwives short of “minimum safe levels”.

They say that of the original 52 “band seven” midwife posts – midwife ward sisters – only 34 now remain and the trust has adopted a policy of recruiting only newly-qualified midwives. And they said that if these changes went ahead, they would have long-term effects on the quality of service midwives could offer mothers-to-be and there would be a loss of clinical expertise.

Dave Galligan, head of health for Unison in Wales, said, “The issue is about cost-cutting which has reduced the grades and skill mix on the unit at the Royal Gwent. Some people have been demoted because the trust’s game plan is to reduce costs. What has not been factored in is the significant demoralising effect this has on the staff who are left.

“Even the most professional staff are not necessarily working effectively as they once were if they feel devalued and demotivated.”

A spokesman for Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Gwent Hospital, said, “We have been making changes to the way we work to continually improve the care we offer to women and babies. This is part of wider staff changes within the trust and we recognise that there will always be staff who take longer to adapt to change.

“Full and open consultation has taken place for the past nine months and the trust has also had the support of the Royal College of Midwives.

“The birth rate is increasing and we have submitted business cases for more midwives with our local health boards and we are currently awaiting their response.”

Helen Rogers, head of the Royal College of Midwives in Wales, said, “The Royal College has been involved in lengthy consultation about some restructuring of services at the Royal Gwent and we are still involved in discussions with the trust.”

And a spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government, “While at the Royal Gwent Hospital to open the upgraded maternity unit, the Health Minister Edwina Hart spoke to midwives about a range of issues relating to maternity services in Gwent.

“She promised to meet with them to discuss the issues in more detail.

“Midwives and representatives from Unison have met with the Minister where a full and frank discussion took place.”