Banbury hospital campaign joins midwives' protest and call for more political commitment

Keep the Horton General campaigners, l - r, Ken Hopkins, Charlotte Bird, Keith Strangwood and Rob and Jen Jones

Keep the Horton General (KTHG) joined maternity staff, clinicians, NHS campaigners and members of the public at the midwives’ vigil in Bonn Square.

Retired midwives stood alongside former colleagues who pleaded for help for a profession in crisis. The importance of good childbirth facilities with adequate staffing was emphasised repeatedly.

Midwives said mothers and their unborn babies suffer increased danger and vulnerability if good infrastructure is not in place to support them. They spoke of insufficient staff on shifts with increasingly large numbers of labouring mothers and described the pressure that creates.

Midwives and other clinical staff - and their families - support each other at Sunday's March for Midwives event in Oxford

Charlotte Bird, press officer for KTHG, said: “A delegation from our group went along to give full support to the midwives who are suffering terrible and unsustainable pressure, working 12-hour shifts and often so busy they are unable to stop for a drink or a toilet break.

"The speeches were stirring. One mother described how incredibly angry she is and begged people to contact their MPs and other politicians, who she said were simply not listening.”

KTHG chairman Keith Strangwood received no reply when he asked: “Where are the local politicians today? Put your hand up if you are a politician.”

Mr Strangwood described a 'never event' that occurred days after the consultant led Obstetric unit was removed from the Horton General Hospital in 2016.

Supporters listened to midwives' and campaigners' calls for more investment and better conditions for those working in maternity units

"That child is still alive and costing the NHS £1 million a year in care and resources to say nothing of the toll on the parents and other family members,” he said. "This is madness and we need to make it change.”

On July 25, 2022, the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s Expert Panel declared there is ‘no credible government strategy to tackle the situation’ in maternity care The sickness rate of midwives is the higher than any other health professional group 60 per cent of UK midwives surveyed in 2021 said they were considering leaving the profession. 57 per cent said they have plans to leave the NHS in the next year Over three quarters cited inadequate staffing levels and 67 per cent were unhappy with the quality and safety of care they are able to deliver The UK is short of 3,500+ midwives.