Released on: 26 March 2015
In response to an independent review of maternity services across Cumbria and North Lancashire, Mary Newburn, NCT said:
“Meeting the needs of families using maternity services in Cumbria is a complex challenge and the review recognises the specific needs of this isolated area.
“We support the team’s preferred solution of option 1 to keep all four obstetric units open, and to offer more choice to women in Cumbria by developing midwifery units and recruiting a consultant midwife for normality. If this recommendation is put into practice, pregnant women will have more choice and continued access to local services.
“However, there is still the need for a national review of maternity and paediatric services in challenging circumstances to embed the acknowledgment of exceptional needs into full NHS services planning.”