Maternity unit re-opens at weekends

Oct 10 2007

A MIDLAND maternity unit forced to close at weekends as it struggled to retain and recruit staff has reopened.

The Mother and Baby Unit at the Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch, Worcestershire, was forced to shut its doors at weekends in June but resumed full-time service last weekend.

The unit - which still faces the axe under a review of maternity services in the county - provides specialist care for premature babies.

Trust bosses are still in talks with Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust about the possibility of collaborating to provide neo-natal services at the Alexandra.

Under the trust's plans, all hospital births, neonatal care and the special care baby unit would be moved to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, in Worcester.

If extra funding, clinical protocols and staff support can be agreed, "maternity services could continue to be provided" at the Redditch hospital.

John Rostill, the trust's chief executive, pictured, stressed their would be a decision to be taken by the end of the year.

He said: "The board has instructed me to explore in detail the feasibility of two further options - the establishment of a Level 1 neonatal intensive care unit at the Alexandra; or centralisation of all births on a single site."