Urgent action on maternity units

Midwives warned maternity services could collapse without more staff

Maternity services in Gwent have been placed under "special measures" after a Welsh Assembly Government review found them to be "unacceptable".

Health Minister Edwina Hart says an action plan is in place to ensure the situation improves.

Concerns had been raised there were not enough midwives to provide a safe service after the Royal Gwent Hospital had to turn away high-risk pregnancies.

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said it was working to improve the situation.

The intervention comes after an investigation by Wales' chief nursing officer into the services, including unannounced visits to both Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny and the Royal Gwent in Newport.

Two areas were found to require special attention - an acknowledged shortage of staff and a lack of leadership and management.

Following a subsequent review by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), Ms Hart called the situation "unacceptable" but said the situation could be sorted out relatively quickly given determination and good leadership.

We recognise the very difficult conditions that the midwives at the trust have been working under, trying to deliver a good and safe service Helen Rogers, Royal College of Midwives

A special measures protocol has now been imposed on maternity services.

This means an action plan has been put in place by the trust and HIW to address the problems. This will be monitored and reviewed every week by HIW.

Ms Hart said: "The safety of patients and the quality and equity of service they receive are of vital importance to us all; I am determined to act on such concerns that patient care might be compromised."

She also said she was so concerned about the maternity services situation that she had asked HIW to bring forward inspections of community and mental health services within the trust.

NHS Wales chief executive Ann Lloyd has also been ordered to intervene in the management of the services.

Earlier this month the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) warned maternity services would "collapse" in Gwent without more staff.

It came after the Royal Gwent Hospital was forced to turn away all but routine births because its special care baby unit was full.

Helen Rogers, RCM's director for Wales, said: "We recognise the very difficult conditions that the midwives at the trust have been working under, trying to deliver a good and safe service.

"The RCM applauds the minister for listening to our concerns and taking such a positive step to rectify the situation."

Unison, which also represent midwives at the trust, said it had raised concerns with the minister a while ago and welcomed the intervention as the way forward in bringing a more "rational approach" to the problems.

Dave Galligan, the union's head of health in Wales, said: "We've been concerned about the way the maternity services were being run and the way changes were introduced and this vindicates our position."

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said it had been working on the issues identified in the review "for some time" and was "determined to ensure that everyone who uses our busy midwifery units receives a first class service".

Chairman Dr Brian Willott said: "Action on a numbers of fronts is necessary and we have put in place an action plan to achieve this."

A spokeswoman for the Gwent Local Health Boards (LHB) said representatives from the LHBs have been working with the trust management team in recent months to develop a service improvement plan.

She added the LHBs have already agreed to fund a number of additional posts to support the midwifery service

"The LHBs are reassured that Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) colleagues share our view that timely delivery of the agreed measures will address areas of shortfall in the service," she said.