Trust Board Febuary 2010 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (2/10) 035 (a)
1. Introduction
Across the UK, maternity services are changing. The Government has made improving
maternity services a priority and as part of the Right Care Right Here programme (RCRH) in
Sandwell there is a long term commitment to improving maternity services locally. There will be
a midwife-led birth centre and specialist care facility at the new hospital that is due to open in
2015/16 on the Grove Lane site in Smethwick. However, before the new hospital is built there
are a number of reasons why maternity services need to be reviewed in the medium term.
In January 2008, the Health Care Commission rated maternity services at Sandwell Hospital as
weak (least well performing). A review carried out by an independent external clinical body
(also during 2008), also raised concerns about the service. Whilst immediate measures were
put in place to address concerns raised, including the appointment of a new Clinical Director, it
has become clear that these measures and improvements are unsustainable in the medium and
longer term.
In order to address this issue, Sandwell Primary Care Trust (Sandwell PCT) has led a review into
the medium term configuration of maternity services in the period up to the opening of the
new hospital in 2015/16. The review developed 7 options for maternity services. This ‘long list’
was then subject to discussions and scoring with partners from Sandwell and West Birmingham
Hospitals NHS Trust, Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust (HOBtPCT), consultants,
midwives and other interested parties, including local people and patients and their
representatives. The option appraisal process was also informed by a period of pre-engagement
activity lasting two weeks which took place in August 2009, during which time 591 people
completed a questionnaire to identify their preferences in regard to maternity services. In
addition, 29 women took part in 4 focus groups intended to gather information on the views
and experiences of mothers using the Maternity and Newborn Services available at Sandwell
and West Birmingham Hospitals.
This scoring process produced a ‘short list’ of three options for proposed changes to maternity
services from 2010 – 2015 in Sandwell and West Birmingham which were then subject to public
consultation. The public consultation period commenced on October 12 th 2009 and ended on
18 th January 2010.
Sandwell PCT commissioned Merida Associates to carry out the public consultation on the
options which included working with the Patient and Public Involvement Manager at Sandwell
PCT and the Maternity Services Review Steering Group to produce the consultation document,
to gather views and analyse the findings.
This report presents the findings of the public consultation.
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