BIRTHS at Frome Birthing Centre are being suspended on the days when the ambulance strikes take place, as fewer ambulances are available to take patients to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Ambulance staff belonging to three unions, GMB, Unison and Unite, are on strike in a dispute over pay and staffing. Due to the increasing pressure on the ambulance service at the time of the strike, births at Frome Birthing Centre are suspended on the days the strikes happen. Ante-natal and post-natal appointments are still going ahead and births on non-strike days will still be possible.
A spokesperson for the Royal United Hospital in Bath said, “We are sorry for any disappointment this may cause and we hope for a speedy resolution to this dispute. Our Frome Birth Centre will continue to provide ante-natal and post-natal support during this time, so if you have an appointment please do attend as usual. We will not be able to support births in our Frome Birth Centre on the days the ambulance strikes are happening, but will continue to provide the option of a midwife-led birth at the RUH Bath Birthing Centre.
“Our Paulton, Chippenham and Trowbridge Centres all remain open as usual. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local maternity unit, they are there to support you.
“The NHS is working hard to keep patients safe during strikes, while delivering the best care possible. The NHS is asking patients to seek care if they need to during industrial action and to continue to attend appointments as planned unless they have been contacted to request that appointments are rearranged.
“Patients should use services wisely by going to NHS 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continuing to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.”
The first strikes of ambulance staff this year were on Wednesday 11th January and Monday 23rd January. The next ambulance strike affecting England is planned for Monday 6th February, where ambulance workers with Unite and GMB are set to be involved with the ‘biggest strike’ the NHS has ever experienced, with thousands of nurses also going on strike.
The town’s birthing centre re-opened on Monday 31st October, as the first stage in a phased return of the full community and home birth service, after being suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and staff shortages.