Trust Board Febuary 2010 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (2/10) 035 (a)
Young people preferred option 2 with:
• 12 people choosing option 1
• 22 people choosing option 2
• 15 people choosing option 3
• 2 people didn’t chose any of the options
• 5 people gave no answer to this question
5.1.1 Comments on the options
Generally, young people in focus groups felt City Hospital was too far away from a lot of parts
of Sandwell and parts of the heart of Birmingham and this was specifically mentioned by the
young men at a focus group in Sparkhill. There was a general concern that all the options would
put increased pressure on City Hospital.
The comments by young people on questionnaires were generally in favour of retaining services
in Sandwell or against going to City: “It is important to give moms to be a choice. I now live in
Sandwell so I thought I'd like my next child at Sandwell Hospital - as my pregnancy would be
more than likely consultant led due to me having cholestasis, that would mean going to City,
which I would NOT want to do. Hence I would get a choice via 'choose & book' & opt for
Birmingham Women's any day.” Another commented “I want to have my child at Sandwell
hospital” and another said “I do not want to have to go to city to have my baby thank you very
much.”
One group of young people discussed the importance of having Sandwell Hospital as a choice,
saying they would like to have the option to give birth where they, or a family member, had
been born. Young women said (in their experience) not everyone is offered a choice of hospital.
The general view about a stand alone MLU was that it might be frightening or risky if
consultants are not close by. Some young women did identify a need for more birthing pools
and stated a preference for having their own room.
Generally, young people want good support during labour/birth, with regular checks to provide
re-assurance that everything is going well, “someone should check up on her” (young man),
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