Complaints about maternity units revealed

Jul 31 2011 by Kerry Wood, Sunday Sun

A BABY was cut across the face as it was delivered by a routine Caesarean section procedure at a North hospital, the Sunday Sun can reveal.

The accident has emerged as part of an Freedom of Information investigation into complaints about maternity units in the region.

It was one of almost 200 formal complaints to NHS trusts about maternity units, services and care experienced by soon-to-be parents and new mums.

Union chiefs today blamed the mistakes on a lack of resources - something the Government has pledged to improve following our probe.

The majority of grievances in the past 18 months have centred on the attitudes of staff and the levels of care received last year.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust received 27 complaints and it was at one of its hospitals the baby was cut on the face during the C-section.

Following the complaint the individual responsible had their clinical procedure reviewed.

A hospital source said the incident was a minor cut and the baby’s health was fine.

There are tens of thousands of births in the North each year, and so the number of complaints is low. But unions last night called on the Government to ensure there was enough cover on maternity wards.

A spokesman for Unison, the union representing public sector workers, said: “There are enormous pressures on staff and a lot of under staffing with the wrong skills mix on some of these wards.

“People think they are talking to a midwife when it is not actually a midwife.

“Trusts need to step up to the fact they need to make sure that they have got the right people on the wards to help patients. It should be a time when people get the help and support they need.

“We were promised when the Government came in it would look at bringing in more midwives but in fact these numbers are not increasing and at the same time people will be complaining they are not getting the services they need.”

With 43 complaints, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust – which covers the University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital and mid-wife led unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital – had the highest number.

As is often the case, concerns raised by patients led to positive long-term changes in procedures.