Trust Board Febuary 2010 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (2/10) 035 (a)
3.1.4 Responding to increased demand at City Hospital
Focus groups, staff, comments on questionnaires and at the consultation events all raised
issues relating to the capacity of City Hospital to cope with the increased numbers.
Key issues identified:
• People were concerned about the increase in the numbers of women giving birth and
the impact this would have on:
o Access to birthing pools and other choices for giving birth. Some women told us
that they had not been able to have a water birth at City Hospital because of
either staff shortages or the facilities were already in use by someone else.
o Staff time and the support they are able to give to women during and following
birth. Staff at City Hospital are already perceived as being over-stretched. One
person commented on the questionnaire “….. Women’s care will be
unquestionably compromised as there will not be enough staff to care for the
women….” Another “if no births at SGH how will City cope? Is there enough
capacity? Re discharge lounge – will partners be able to accompany mum, will
there be privacy for breastfeeding mums?” Some women commented that
concerns about capacity would deter them from going to City Hospital. Another
noted “I had my son in City Hospital this year and although the service I received
was great, they were overwhelmed in triage and this led to women in labour, I
was one of them, waiting in a queue whilst in labour. This is not acceptable.
Therefore if you are going to move the majority of facilities to City you will need
to increase staffing and facilities accordingly or women and their babies will be at
an increased risk.”
• Some concerns were expressed about the increased numbers of women giving birth at
City Hospital and the impact this may have on support services such as catering,
housekeeping, cleaning and laundry.
3.2 Comments on and views about the options
3.2.1 Option 1 and Option 2
A small number of respondents who chose options 1 or 2 made positive comments about City
Hospital including:
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