Press Releases

Grange Maternity Centre fully open at last!

15 May 2008

Good boost for the Grange

10 October 2007

Hampshire Maternity Consultation is launched

23 July 2007

Please vote for ‘option 1’ for a certain future at the Grange.

“Please vote for option one!” is the cry from local campaigners from the Save the Grange Birth Centre group as a new 3 month maternity consultation is launched this week. The maternity consultation has been launched by Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) with the aim of deciding a certain future for the birth centres in South East Hampshire.

Sarah Roberts from Save the Grange said;” We are delighted that the PCT’s preferred option is option one. This would mean that all areas win. In Petersfield, we would return to a full service at the Grange Birth Centre, providing midwife led birth and postnatal services 24/7, 365 days a year. Although this option does mean the closure of Blackbrook Birth Centre in Fareham, the consultation does provide the option to expand maternity services in the planned Fareham Community Hospital in the future.”

“What this whole process will confirm is a certain future for the birth centres in our area and a firm commitment from the PCT and NHS Trust to make them work. This certain future is what our campaign has been working towards for the past two years – we now need the public support to make it really happen.”

The campaigners’ next plans include helping the public understand the consultation document and to work to encourage local people to feedback their views to the PCT. “Local people can respond by attending a drop in feedback session, completing a feedback form or emailing their views directly to the PCT” said Sarah Roberts.

Your comments and questions can be directed to:
Hampshire PCT
FREEPOST (SCE 14828)
Maternity Consultation
Waterlooville
PO7 7BR
Tel: 023 9224 8340
Email: maternity.consultation@ports.nhs.uk

For general information about the proposals please visit www.hampshirepct.nhs.uk

Grange re-opens but service is different

27 October 2006

Mums, dads, midwives, GP’s and local people have been invited to a party at the Grange Birth Centre next Monday when Michael Mates cuts a ribbon to re-open the much loved birth centre.

Donna Ockendon, Head of Midwifery at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, has designed a new model of care which will allow babies to be born at the centre from 30th October.

Sarah Roberts from Save the Grange Campaign group said; ‘it is great that the doors are open again and that local people now have the choice to use a local birth centre. But the service isn’t as good as it was 16 months ago. We need to continue to campaign to improve the postnatal service and then this birth centre will thrive.’

Over the past 16 months the campaign group have placed continuous pressure on the Portsmouth Hospitals Trust including three trips to Westminster, three public meetings, two presentations to Primary Care Trust (PCT) and local health councillors, a barrage of letters, emails and meetings with the NHS Trust and PCT.

Sarah Roberts said ‘We are certain that the pressure placed on the NHS Trust has made a difference to the Grange re-opening. We would like to thank the local community for all their support over this long campaign, for coming to our public meetings, for writing letters and signing our petition.’

‘The next step is to pressure the NHS Trust into staffing the wards with Healthcare Support Workers which will extend the ability for the centre to offer quality postnatal care. I am convinced if the Trust does this the birth centre will be really popular.’

We will be forming a Grange Steering Group made up of local stakeholders (local parents, GP’s, midwives, PCT and NHS Trust members). This group will keep a close eye on this local service and consider ways to improve the service it offers.

Good news about Grange Birth Centre

18 September 2006

Portsmouth NHS Trust are making good progress towards babies being born at the Grange Birth Centre by the end of late October but have still not released a precise date for re-opening.

Save the Grange Campaigners met today (Monday) with Martyn Dorey (Director of Planning and Performance) for an update meeting.

Sarah Roberts said “It is good news that the Grange will be open for births by the end of October.  We are more positive that this time frame will be accurate and continue to wait for an actual date.”

“The Trust is working through different practicalities and this has an impact on the type of care that women will receive at the Grange Birth Centre.  We are very interested to find out more about how the Trust plan to provide the service from the Grange as it will be different from how it used to be run.”

“Unfortunately Donna Ockendon, Head of Midwifery, was unable to attend our meeting, due to sickness, so there were lots of questions that couldn’t be answered.  We hope to meet Donna shortly to get answers to how this new system will work”

The Save the Grange Campaign Group continue to support midwives working hard, producing quality service under the constraints of low staff numbers, increased hours and low moral.

Why birth centres are valued:

• Birth centres are local and convenient
• You are more likely to know your midwife
• Birth centres are more personal and can be more relaxing than large hospital units for some women
• Birth centres specialise in normal birth and give women with a straightforward pregnancy a better chance of giving birth without medical intervention or emergency caesarean
• Birth centres have excellent breastfeeding rates and give lots of support in the early days

Minister Tells Mates: Grange Will Re-Open

9 August 2006

Health Department Minister Ivan Lewis MP has written to Michael Mates MP (East Hampshire) to confirm that the Grange birthing suite in Petersfield will re-open in the autumn, subject to staff recruitment. The Minister’s letter to Mr Mates followed their recent meeting.

Mr Mates said: “I am delighted that the Minister has confirmed what the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have said, that the Grange will re-open later this year. This is a victory for all involved in the campaign to re-open the Grange after its unexpected closure in July last year.

“The one note of caution I would sound is over the review of maternity services that will now take place across South East Hampshire. We must be vigilant to ensure that good local maternity units like the Grange do not face closure as a result of that review. After all, it is the Government’s policy that the NHS should retain and support local hospitals and maternity units like the Grange are an important service for the community”.

Save the Grange Campaigners are encouraged by the statement from Ivan Lewis that “local health organisations plan to open the Grange Birth Centre in the Autumn, pending recruitment of additional staff”.  In addition Donna Ockendon, Head of Midwifery, has informed the campaign group that she is working towards babies being born at the Grange in late October.

“The fact that the Head of Midwifery is working towards re-opening in late October is very encouraging but until we have a firm date for reopening we must keep up the pressure.  We are meeting with the Trust on Monday 18th September when we hope to get some concrete news”

Meet the Minister at Westminster

11 July 2006

The Save the Grange campaign went to Westminster again today to meet Ivan Lewis, the minister responsible for maternity services. Sarah Roberts and Mel Watson (from the Blackbrook campaign) were accompanied by MP’s Michael Mates and Mark Hoban.

Mr Lewis has pledged to ‘keep an eye’ on the current closures in Petersfield and Fareham. He has promised to contact local PCT and NHS Trust to get a firmer timeline in order to provide a ‘transparent’ guide to the future of the birth centres.

He also agreed to follow up two questions from the campaign group. Firstly to get a response from the Department of Health about the petition delivered to Downing Street in December and secondly to gain a reply from another health minister, Gwyneth Lewis, who was asked to look in to the closures in March by Ivan’s predecessor, Liam Byrne.

Sarah Roberts said “we made Mr Lewis aware of our frustration of the indefinite closure, the local staffing situation and our worries about the reconfiguration of maternity services in the area.

“Mr Lewis asked us what we felt local services should offer and we replied that a main unit at QA and low tech birth centres in local communities would enable low risk women access to local services which would give them a better chance of a normal straightforward birth”

“We made him aware that it also makes more geographical sense to spread maternity services across the region than having the majority of the services centralised at QA hospital”

Mr Lewis told the campaign group that the Government would be producing a framework in the Autumn which will propose ways the maternity services can provide local community based care which will back up the National Service Framework and the Labour manifesto pledge that ‘by 2009 all women will have choice over where and how they have their baby and what pain relief to use.’¹

The Save the Grange Campaign Group continue to support midwives working hard, producing quality service under the constraints of low staff numbers, increased hours and low moral.

Why birth centres are valued:

• Birth centres are local and convenient
• You are more likely to know your midwife
• Birth centres are more personal and can be more relaxing than large hospital units for some women
• Birth centres specialise in normal birth and give women with a straightforward pregnancy a better chance of giving birth without medical intervention or emergency caesarean
• Birth centres have excellent breastfeeding rates and give lots of support in the early days

¹ The Labour Party Manifesto 2005

One Year On and the Birth Centre is still Closed

4 July 2006

Mums and babies gathered today to mark the first anniversary of the closure of the Grange Birth Centre in Petersfield. The Grange was closed on the 4th July last year for a 6 month temporary closure due to staff shortages in St Mary’s main maternity unit. But one year later the Grange is still remains closed.

Sharing this anniversary is 1 year old Jacob Goodes who celebrates his birthday on 4th July. His mum Kate Goodes went to the Grange Birth Centre at 3am on July 4th 2005. When she arrived in advanced labour she was told that she couldn’t give birth and the centre and had to drive the 20 miles to Portsmouth. Jacob was born at 6.25am at St Mary’s.

Kate said “At first I was just really disappointed that I couldn’t give birth at the Grange and then after time I felt very angry that I had to drive down because I had a really straightforward birth”.

Campaign leader Sarah Roberts said: “On this day last year parents and babies gathered in the town square to protest against this closure. One year on and we are still waiting for the birth centre to open. Despite continuous promises from the NHS Trust we still have no date for re-opening and the threat of permanent closure due to maternity services reconfiguration still hangs over our heads.”

“Over the past year we have also seen why our birth centre is really needed. One woman has given birth on the A3 on the way to Portsmouth, one gave birth on her kitchen floor after she was sent home ‘not in active labour’ from St Mary’s and many have faced longer journeys to busier hospitals where they are at more risk of having interventions during their labour”.

“Birth centres provide healthy women with a low tech local service and because they specialise in normal birth they give women with a straightforward pregnancy a better chance of giving birth without medical intervention or emergency caesarean”

Campaign group members are also concerned about the latest threat to St Richard’s Maternity Unit in Chichester which makes the need for a birth centre in Petersfield even more important.

What next?

The Campaign group continue to liaise with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, East Hants Primary care Trust and the Hampshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Sarah Roberts and Mel Watson (campaign leader from Blackbrook Birth Centre Fareham) travel up to London next Tuesday (11th July) to meet with the new health minister responsible for maternity Ivan Lewis.

The Save the Grange Campaign Group continue to support midwives working hard, producing quality service under the constraints of low staff numbers, increased hours and low moral.

Why birth centres are valued:

• Birth centres are local and convenient
• You are more likely to know your midwife
• Birth centres are more personal and can be more relaxing than large hospital units for some women
• Birth centres specialise in normal birth and give women with a straightforward pregnancy a better chance of giving birth without medical intervention or emergency caesarean
• Birth centres have excellent breastfeeding rates and give lots of support in the early days

Campaigners fear of permanent closure grows as no date is given

23 February 2006

Ursula Ward, Chief Executive of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust disappointed campaigners by failing to give the public a date when the Grange Birth Centre will re-open.  Mrs Ward suggested that the Grange ‘may’ re-open in the autumn but gave campaigners no firm date.

This disappointment reinforces campaigners fear that the failure by the NHS Trust to reopen the ‘temporarily’ closed birth centre is due to the fact that it may be permanently axed.

Over the past three months East Hants and Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trusts in co-operation with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have been considering which maternity services to keep open and which ones to shut.  A draft report recommends significant permanent change in the future maternity provision which would lead to a three month public consultation before these changes come into force.

The draft report recommends the movement of the maternity services (main unit and co- located birth centre) from St Mary’s to the QA site in Cosham as well as the provision of 1 or 2 birth centres.  Unfortunately the draft report does not suggest which birth centres would remain but Grange campaigners believe Blake Birth Centre in Gosport and a proposed birth Centre in Portsea Island would be the main contenders.

Sarah Roberts, campaign member said:” this is a critical time for the Grange.  We are very pessimistic about the future of the Grange Birth Centre but are continuing to work with key groups which can influence this decision”

“We would like to say thank you to the 245 people who attended our meeting and to everyone who has supported our campaign over the past eight months. Personally, would like to thank my fantastic campaign team who have worked tirelessly on top of busy working and family lives. We are very proud of what we have achieved and the support we have received from the public has been amazing” said Sarah.

Campaigners have been constantly fighting this unpopular closure since June last year and have recently involved Liam Byrne, a Government Health Minister, who has promised to probe local health officials to find out why The Grange is closed as it contradicts National Government policy.

Evidence of lack of commitment to reopen

• U-turn on financial backing
• no formal plan or strategy to re-open
• lack of appropriate recruitment in September 05
• 100% increase in staff shortages
• failure of PHT to give public a date to re-open

Health Minister promises to probe into closures

2nd February 2006

Liam Byrne MP, a Government Health Minister, has promised to take direct action by contacting East Hants Primary Care Trust to investigate the current closure of the Grange Birth Centre.

The minister was quizzed by mums and babies from the Save the Grange Campaign Group at an ‘Ask the Minister’ session at the House of Commons yesterday.

Mr Byrne is responsible for implementing the maternity standard of the National Service Framework which includes the provision of community based birth centres.

Sarah Roberts said:”We asked why Government rhetoric contradicts the reality of current practice in Portsmouth.  Why our birth centre has been closed for 8 months and seriously under threat when Government policy values birth centres within local communities” In response Liam Byrne has agreed to contact local health chiefs to look into the current closures.

When Mr Byrne talked about the rising numbers of midwives across the country, with more midwives in training and a national all time low of only 1.8% of vacancies, Save the Grange campaigners made him aware of the dire shortage of midwives in the Portsmouth area: “When the Grange was closed in July 05 the Trust were 22 staff short, now 8 months after ‘temporary’ closure they are 41 staff short.   With no decrease in the number of maternity leave, increased sickness and 12 vacancies the situation is much worse than last summer” says Sarah Roberts

Rebecca Randell with 31/2 month old Iris said: “We met with Mr Byrne after the meeting to give him further details of our campaign and invited him to our public meeting on 22nd February”

Patricia Exley and 9 month old Kate were pleased to have raised the profile of their campaign; “We made our voices heard in a national arena and we were congratulated by Laura Moffatt MP, who was chairing the meeting, for bringing our campaign to the heart of Parliament”.

The session was also attended by other ministers, Department of Health officials and other interested parties like midwives, obstetricians, charities and the chief executive of the NCT, Belinda Phipps.

The Save the Grange Campaign Group continue to support midwives working hard, producing quality service under the constraints of low staff numbers, increased hours and low moral.

Third Public Meeting – Wednesday 22nd Feb – Festival Hall, Petersfield. 8pm – Chaired by Michael Mates MP.  Ursula Ward (PHT Chief Exec) has committed to attending.

Campaigners demand truth as Grange battle reaches new low

24th January 2006

Portsmouth Hospitals Trust has revealed that they are in a worse staffing position now than they were nearly eight months ago when they ‘temporarily’ closed the Grange Birth centre. Save the Grange Campaigners were astonished to discover that the whole time equivalent (WTE) staff shortages has risen from 22 WTE in July 05 (when the Grange was closed) to 41 WTE in Jan 06 (7 months after ‘temporary’ closure). With no decrease in the number of maternity leave, increased sickness and 12 vacancies the situation is much worse than last summer and shows no sign of improving.

From the outset during this ‘temporary’ closure PHT has remained committed to re-opening ‘when clinically safe to do so’ but Sarah Roberts says “I believe that PHT has NO INTENTION of re-opening and I feel it is time that the public deserve the real truth behind these closures”

I attach an email written by decision makers in June 05 which demonstrates that this whole process has been a cover-up for the PHT real intentions. Head of Midwifery Donna’s Ockendon writes “I know we need to take a longer term view and I understand the political implications. I believe we are providing a multi-site service that is unaffordable” Ian Golland replies “It seems that there are some potential efficiencies that can be met by rationalisation of the current maternity services, although at political cost and being seen to be removing choice or local services.”

Ian Golland continues; “There is an impending problem with staffing during the summer months. We also need to have the prospect or possibility of achieving the financial balance we seek. We feel it is time to present proposals for change”

Sarah Roberts says; I believe that the staff shortages in the summer were seen as an ‘opportunity’ to make changes within the maternity system as a whole. The current NHS options appraisal will be the final nail in the Grange’s coffin and the PHT will have made these ‘efficiencies in the current maternity service’ at great cost to families, babies and new parents across the Petersfield area. The campaign group feel that the Grange’s future in Petersfield is seriously in doubt.

Evidence of lack of commitment to reopen

• no formal plan or strategy to re-open
• lack of appropriate recruitment in September
• 100% increase in staff shortages
• failure of PHT to give public a date to re-open

The Save the Grange Campaign Group continue to support midwives working hard, producing quality service under the constraints of low staff numbers, increased hours and low moral.

Third Public Meeting – Wednesday 22nd Feb – Festival Hall, Petersfield. 8pm – Chaired by Michael Mates MP. Ursula Ward (PHT Chief Exec) has committed to attending.

Launch of "When" Campaign

8 October 2005

The Save the Grange Campaign Group are concerned that new financial restraints placed on maternity services will continue to delay or prevent the Grange and Blackbrook Birth Centres re-opening. It seems that the NHS Trust has moved the goal posts about the reasons for closure. The Trust initially stated that the closures were purely a staffing issue. Now that 17 midwives have been appointed new financial issues have been blamed for the failure to re-open. It seems that the closures are simply a cost cutting measure as the campaign group have always feared.

The campaign group were looking forward to a date being given for re- opening the Grange and Blackbrook as 12 newly qualified midwives and 5 other midwifery posts have been filled by the NHS Trust. But it seems that there may be some delay due to Maternity services being no longer excluded from the NHS Trust's Financial Recovery Plan (FRP).

Effective management of the nearly 180 midwifery staff could release Grange and Blackbrook midwives to staff local birth centres. But the NHS Trust continue to be reluctant to re-open which leads campaign members to believe that the closures are cost cutting measures at the expense of local services.

The campaign group are having a meeting on Tuesday 11th Oct between 2-3pm at the Petersfield Hospital with the aim of setting a date to re-open the Grange and the Blackbrook Birth Centres. Attending the meeting are: Donna Ockendon (Head of Midwifery) and Martyn Dovey (acting Director of Strategic Development) from the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Katherine Rowles from the East Hants Primary Care Trust, Local GP's from the Grange and Swan surgeries, and representatives from the `Save the Grange' campaign group.

Our "When?"campaign
The campaign group are encouraging the public to write to the NHS trust and ask WHEN the Grange and Blackbrook Birth Centres will be re-opening? The public can do this by picking up a WHEN? postcard from shops, libraries and surgeries around the area and posting it directly to the NHS Trust.

Outcome of 28 July 2005 Public Meeting

HIGH PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEETING

At tonight’s public meeting at Petersfield’s Festival Hall, chaired by Michael Mates MP for East Hampshire, almost 320 grandparents, mothers (some very new), fathers and babies turned out to hear what the Portsmouth NHS Hospitals Trust had to say about the future of The Grange and Blackbrook birth centres.

Donna Ockenden, Head of Midwifery for Portsmouth NHS said that both centres will be re-opened, it is now just a question of when and not if. No guarantee was given as to the timing of the re-openings, but this positive news was greeted with applause from the audience.

The principal restriction on re-opening these centres is justifiably, safety. Until the Trust can recruit the required number of midwives to cover the current maternity and sick leave crisis across the region and have all six units sufficiently staffed, the Grange and Blackbrook birth centres will remain closed.

In addition, Bill Shields, Deputy Chief Executive of the Trust reassured the public that, in spite of the financial deficit currently affecting the Portsmouth NHS Trust, there will be no restrictions on funding replacement and short-term midwifery contracts to ensure staffing levels are returned to normal.

The Save The Grange Campaign will continue to put pressure on the Trust in order to ensure that both birth centres will be re-opened as soon as is practicable.