Stroud: Community fear 'quiet closure' of maternity unit

More than 4,500 people have signed a petition to reverse a decision to suspend post-natal beds indefinitely.

Campaigners fear an "exemplary" service at Stroud Maternity Unit in Gloucestershire is being "closed by the back door".

Parents are now asked to vacate beds six to 12 hours after giving birth.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust said the move was due to staffing pressures, and was being reviewed "weekly".

The Change.org petition was started by Stroud teacher Kate Buckingham, chair of advocacy group Stroud Maternity Matters.

The group represents patients voices at meetings between the public and the trust's management, and also works alongside the unit's midwives.

"It voices things that workers in the NHS are potentially not able to," Ms Buckingham said.

She said parents using the Stroud facility had previously been given the chance to establish breastfeeding under the supervision of midwives.

They had also been able to stay in the unit longer if there were social or economic factors that meant they did not have somewhere safe to go to post-birth.

"That provision is a core element of the unit, we worry [removing it] it represents a back-door closure of the unit," she said.

Claire Rudge, 31, had each of her three children at Stroud Maternity Unit.

She said the care she had received throughout her pregnancies was "absolutely above and beyond" all expectations.

Mrs Rudge had the same midwife for all three births, and was also supported by the same person when she lost a pregnancy.

Mrs Rudge, who works in a mental health crisis outreach team for an NHS trust, said she and her colleagues often came across women suffering from serious postnatal depression.

"We have seen women whose experience of birth, after birth and postnatal care have a detrimental impact on their mental heath," she said.

"Statistically they say if the mother and baby bond isn't formed in the first two years, then that baby is at high risk of developing mental illness.

"But for mothers with postnatal depression, sometimes it can take that long - if not longer - to feel better."

Having previously suffered from postnatal depression, Mrs Rudge remained in the Stroud unit for 48 hours following the birth of her third child.

"Having the time just me and my new baby was precious and a really important part of our lifetime relationship," she said.

As well as childbirth, the unit offers a range of service from antenatal classes, pregnancy yoga, baby massage classes and support for people suffering postnatal depression.

"It would be another example of the 'quiet closure' of something we have been able to take for granted," Ms Buckingham said.

"What we want to see is that the maternity unit is kept as an example of best practice - where women are given a choice, as an exemplar of what can be done."

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust said the decision to suspend postnatal beds was only temporary.

It said in a statement: "In response to continuing staffing challenges, many people may be aware that we have taken the difficult decision to suspend the provision of postnatal beds at Stroud Maternity.

"This ensures that we can maintain the Stroud birthing service and continue to provide one-to-one care in labour at all times. This is a short-term measure only and will be reviewed on a weekly basis."

It said community midwifery services remained unchanged.

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