Grayson: Birthing Unit Panel Must Meet Again

9.36.20am GMT Fri 15th Jan 2010

Submitting his response to the consultation on maternity services in Herts, Hemel's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Dr Richard Grayson, has said that the panel did not do its job adequately and must reconvene. He said:

The review has not adequately taken on board the very serious concerns which have been expressed by women with regard to travel. While the review could not be expected to establish a new transport system in West Herts, it should have taken greater steps to understand the problems involved. As it stands, the report accepts (page 4) that the ability "to get to place of birth within 20 minutes by car" is the second most important aspect of maternity, as judged by women surveyed. However, the review panel simply cannot understand the nature of the travel problems or it would not have come to the conclusions that it did. I call on the panel to reconvene and carry out a serious study of the travel issues, and then produce a report which truly factors these in.

Notes

The consultation website is: http://www.wherts-pct.nhs.uk/Content.asp?id=SX12EE-A77F82F1&cat=1345

Dr Grayson has campaigned on this issue for several years and the attached picture shows him and Steve Webb MP discussing maternity service issues with a new Mum at Hemel hospital in 2006.