A PETITION calling for community and home birth services to be reinstated at the Frome birthing centre has been launched.
Due to a shortage of midwives, the Royal United Hospital (RUH) maternity service has suspended community births at the birthing centres in Frome and Chippenham. All home birth support has been suspended too. As a result, women who were hoping to give birth at home or in a birthing centre near their home, have to travel to Bath RUH.
The suspension of these services has been ongoing for the majority of 2022, and this month it was announced that a ‘difficult decision’ had been made to extend the suspension until at least the end of September.
“This is due to ongoing staff shortages and the need to prioritise the safety of women, birthing people and their babies,” said director of midwifery & deputy chief nurse, Sarah Merritt, in a public statement.
Women that had planned for a community or home birth have been given the option of a midwifery-led birth at the RUH’s Birthing Centre.
The petition has been created by Charlotte Pidgeon, who is involved with Frome’s NCT (National Childbirth Trust) group and is also a director of Frome Baby Connections CIC; and at the time of going to press, nearly 400 people had signed it in support.
The petition says, “We understand the pressure the service is under but the impact of the closures on new families and babies is devastating and should not be underestimated. NHS Trusts have a duty of care to all labouring women and parents.”
Concerns
Charlotte has also raised concern about the risk to pregnant women, who are having to travel to Bath to give birth. She said, “I am concerned that the system is not currently safe, the RUH’s birth statistics now include BBA – Born Before Arrival (of a midwife) – which shows the impact of these closures.
“Women are either choosing to give birth at home with no midwife present or they are giving birth before they can arrive in Bath. The pressure that the ambulance service is under makes this even more risky if an emergency response was required.
“We fully support women choosing to give birth how and where they want, but no one should feel forced into a decision which could put them at risk. Even in the Bath birthing centre, staff are critically overstretched and this cannot be a safe or supportive environment to birth in. We want to ensure that all the families affected can make their voices heard and that in future planning, the Trust can ensure this never happens again.
“The birth centre in Frome is a fantastic place to give birth, families know the midwives there and they want to be cared for close to home, by people they know. It is such an important part of Frome and we want to see it open and thriving.”
Support for families
Frome Birth Talk, which provides counselling, groups and wellbeing activities for pregnant and new parents, has offered its support to families affected by the suspension.
Frome Birth Talk’s Suzy Cristinacce, said, “We are saddened to hear that these services will be suspended until the end of September. We know how much people value the midwife-led unit and the opportunity for home births and are aware that the removal of these options could lead to distress at an already emotional time.
“Frome Birth Talk provides free counselling and support for anyone in the Frome area who is pregnant or has recently given birth or lost a baby. We also run two drop-in support groups on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Anyone who would like support with difficult feelings can refer themselves by emailing info@ fromebirthtalk.org.uk.”
Antenatal, day assessment and postnatal care is still available from Frome and Chippenham, as well the maternity units in Paulton and Trowbridge – who both closed for births in 2020.
To sign the petition, visit www.change.org/p/reinstate-community-and-home-births-as-part-of-ruh-maternity-services
