Streeting Accused Of 'betrayal' Over Maternity Funding Plan

Campaigners person questioned Health Secretary Wes Streeting's committedness to maternity information aft his section watered down backing levels.

Almost £100m was invested into improving maternity information annually pursuing nan publication of an interim study into mediocre attraction astatine nan Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust. But changes by nan Department of Health mean that conscionable £2m of nan backing is guaranteed to beryllium spent connected maternity attraction this year.

Rhiannon Davies, who mislaid her girl owed to mediocre attraction astatine nan trust, called nan determination "an absolute betrayal by Wes Streeting".

The Department of Health said section wellness leaders would beryllium fixed nan money to determine really champion to walk it.

The reappraisal into maternity attraction astatine nan Shrewsbury and Telford trust, published successful 2022, recovered that astatine slightest 201 babies and 9 mothers could person survived pinch amended care.

Following nan publication of an interim report, successful March 2021, NHS England said it would summation spending connected maternity attraction by £95m a year.

At nan time, it said nan money would beryllium utilized to prosecute arsenic galore arsenic 1,000 midwives and astir 80 advisor obstetricians.

Some of nan money was besides to beryllium spent connected allowing consultants and midwives to train together - a cardinal proposal of nan first report, by elder nurse Donna Ockenden - arsenic good arsenic allocating money for nan NHS to enlistee from overseas.

But study of NHS backing for this year, carried retired by nan Health Service Journal, showed that conscionable £2m of nan £95m was to beryllium ringfenced for 2025/26.

The remainder of nan money will beryllium fixed to nan 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) that determine really nan wellness work backing is allocated locally crossed England.

Responding to nan change, Ms Ockenden posted connected societal media: "How has this happened? So disappointed. Talking to colleagues crossed perinatal services, nan consciousness of disappointment is profound."

If nan ICBs determine to walk nan money they've been allocated connected maternity care, location won't beryllium a backing cut.

But immoderate maternity unit person labelled nan alteration arsenic disastrous, fearing that taking distant nan backing protection will mean maternity budgets will beryllium cut.

"Removing nan ringfencing will return america backmost years," said a elder midwife.

The Royal College of Midwives said it was "utterly shocked" by Streeting's decision, adding it was "short-sighted" and "utterly unacceptable".

"These fund cuts… will rip nan bosom retired of immoderate moves to amended maternity safety," said main executive Gill Walton.

"The authorities has taken a wrecking shot to nan activity that's being done up and down nan state to amended maternity safety, thing which is desperately needed."

Rhiannon Davies, who alongside Kayleigh Griffiths was instrumental successful getting nan Shrewsbury enquiry commissioned, was besides powerfully captious of nan wellness secretary.

The money, she wrote, "was to guarantee others avoided nan lifelong symptom we person to strengthen without our children".

The Department of Health and Social Care said maternity attraction remained a apical privilege for nan wellness service.

In a statement, it said: "The aforesaid level of backing is still being delivered arsenic portion of wider ICB allocations, giving section healthcare leaders - who are champion placed to determine really to service their section organization - much flexibility.

"We are clear that excessively galore women are not receiving nan safe, personalised and compassionate maternity attraction they deserve, but done our Plan for Change, this authorities is wished to alteration that."

The section said it would thief infirmary trusts to make accelerated improvements and train thousands much midwives.