A COUNCILLOR has welcomed plans to consult on the future of a midwifery unit in Lichfield amid plans to shut it permanently.
Services at the Samuel Johnson Community Hospital paused some birthing provision during the pandemic.
But despite health chiefs saying back in 2022 it would reopen “when it was safe to do so”, it has yet to fully do so – and now plans have been drawn up which could see it shut permanently.
A meeting of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) said a consultation would take place on the future of the midwifery unit.
Cllr Janice Silvester-Hall, who will contest the Lichfield City North seat for the Conservatives at the elections on 1st May, said the views of local residents were “essential” before any decision was taken.
She said:
“The decision to ask the community is very welcome.
“I am really pleased that following on from the ongoing discussions to date the ICB have decided to go ahead with asking Lichfield district residents for their opinion on the proposed permanent closure Samuel Johnson freestanding midwife-led birthing unit in particular.
“Asking the community is absolutely essential and I want to encourage as many local people as possible to provide feedback when the opportunity begins.”
A report to the meeting said that pre-pandemic, 18 women a month gave birth at the Samuel Johnson Community Hospital unit.
The consultation is expected to begin in May and is planned to be conducted over a 12-week period.
The ICB says there will be “targeted engagement” with service users, carers, carer representatives and other stakeholders being planned through online and in-person events.
Cllr Silvester-Hall said:
“It is important to point out this consultation is for the midwife-led birthing unit only.
“Looking closely at the use of the unit is key to determining its future in my opinion, especially taking into account the numbers of women from the Lichfield district area who may be using places out of the county at nearby hospitals such as Good Hope, Walsall Manor or New Cross to deliver their babies.
“I have been actively connecting interested local residents and groups to the consultation process in readiness for when it starts and local events in Lichfield City North are being specifically requested.”
Candidates standing in the Lichfield City North seat are:
- Kate Greening (Labour)
- Jordan Lane (Lib Dem)
- David Melhuish (Greens)
- Janice Silvester-Hall (Conservatives)
- Matthew Wallens (Reform)
Well that is a surprise – I don’t think so! The population of Lichfield is growing and as it does the facilities are reducing.
I moved to Lichfield in the late 50’s , there were shops, yes I know the internet has changed the way people shop. There was a swimming pool – yes the powers that be all all shouting out about the leisure centre at Burntwood but there it is Burntwood Not Lichfield.
There was an A & E at the Victoria hospital and it was manned 24/7 for just that A & E not minor injuries open for office hours only!.
I can think of lots of other things that have disappeared in the last whatever years and I am not pointing a finger at any political party but just at whatever and who ever is allowing Lichfield to become a satellite “city” to Tamworth and Burton and just a tourist attraction.
It will be interesting to see if any one agrees with my little rant.
What a travesty this would be for local women. Notwithstanding the limited services due to the pandemic we were told that it would eventually reopen fully. With a growing population it would be disingenuous of anyone to say this service is not needed. Women’s services including this are woeful at best and all the aforementioned hospitals plus Burton are NOT close to Lichfield. It should be a woman’s right to give birth where she chooses and barring home-births no one in the future will ever be able to say they were born in Lichfield. Midwives and others have worked hard to make this unit a beautiful place to give birth and this should not go unrecognised. The facilities are already in place. Use them!
LDC including Burntwood in 2021 is listed as 106,000 plus Population and as we are all aware increasing in the thousands since this date. New housing estates suffocating our Beautiful City.
Yet our infrastructure is continuing in decline.
The loss of this Maternity Unit will be another travesty. The closure of A&E Department plus Maternity Unit when the Victoria Hospital Closed was filled with false promises then??
Expectant Mothers travelling to Hospitals Maternity units Miles away, either 19 Miles to Walsall. 13 to Sutton Coldfield and 9 to Burton.
By my understanding the Maternity Unit in Lichfield is complete and intact. What an utter waste it would be not to reopen this already established unit again.
Yet another example of the short sighted cost cutting that has been a feature of the NHS over the last few decades. We lost the Victoria hospital, then severely restricted opening hours for minor injuries at Samuel Johnson. We lost St Michael’s. We lost St Matthews at Burntwood, then George Bryan at Tamworth, and Margaret Stanhope at Burton. We have lost all of the cottage hospitals that served their communities. The net result is that services have been centralised into regional hospitals that are far from most patients, and are struggling to cope with the demand. Well who knew? Retaining local hospital services would spread the load, but this seems a minor consideration for the number crunchers. What next? Will we end up having to travel to places like London or a handful of major cities for treatment, and waiting in corridors for it? Somewhere the rot has to stop if we are to retain a meaningful NHS.
With the county council elections just three weeks away, the incumbent councillor is finally speaking up—perhaps prompted by Labour candidate Kate Greening’s pledge to make this particular issue a priority if elected
Don’t forget Hammerwich hospital which took a number of patients for rehabilitation. There was an x ray dept and a physio dept. I seem to remember there was a consultation on Nearfield House closing I have never spoken to anyone who thought it was a good idea. Who was consulted certainly not the residents or staff. Yet it closed. Oakdene day centre? Closed . It was a godsend to carers and service users. Who benefits from closing the birthing unit ? . Certainly not the potential patients. It can take an age to get through traffic to Good Hope or Burton hospitals at busy times. Lives could be at risk.