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Health chiefs questioned over 'missing' £330million maternity care funding
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor29.10.08
HEALTH bosses are facing a government inquiry over "missing" maternity care cash, it emerged today.
Earlier this year ministers awarded trusts an extra £330million to improve poor standards for mothers and newborn babies across Britain.
The move follows concerns about substandard wards, a shortage of midwives and lack of choice for mothers wishing to give birth at home. Maternity staff complain the money has not been invested in improving services.
Now the NHS has brought in its finance chief to head an audit into exactly where the cash has gone.
The Evening Standard has learned that finance director David Flory has written to all chief executives demanding details of how they have invested the money. He is expected to report back to ministers by mid-November.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the extra funding in January this year, saying it was to boost services for expectant mothers. This included one-to-one care from a midwife as well as access to a home birth.
The cash was intended to eradicate the postcode lottery many women face when giving birth. But leading midwives say it has failed to reach maternity units, and fear trusts have spent it on other services because it was not properly ringfenced.
Health minister Ann Keen, in charge of maternity services, said there was "no excuse" for health trusts refusing to disclose details of where the funds had gone.
She said: "They have to be transparent. It really is down to individual leaders because the money has been allocated by us. We will find out how the money is being used. This is a very strong reminder about their leadership if they have not [used the cash for maternity care]."
Pat Gould, Royal College of Midwives team manager for London, said she welcomed the investigation.
"The Government keeps saying this money is going to improve maternity services so it's vital that this is what it's used for." Former nurse Mrs Keen admitted that modernisation of maternity units has been "long overdue".
She said: "Environment is important. It has to be as natural as possible as well as safe. There's hard evidence that environment has a huge impact on pain control. Women should decide early and make a positive birth choice. My expectation is that there has to be safety, quality and as much personal choice that the circumstances can allow."
Reader views (5)
I think this story has emerged at a useful juncture - just as Gordon Brown prepares to borrow endless billions more in a bid to spend his way out of the impending recession. Why would any one think that the waste of resource is going to stop now; it will simply accelerate and leave us in an even bigger hole with a mountain of debt. This government has no conception of how to control expenditure.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
Well, I can tell you, its certainly not reached the SW London hospital where I'm due to give birth in the next week. The care there is appalling. The midwives are unable to cope with the amount of women they have to see, and at every 2 week check-up the talk of the waiting room is how poor ones care has been. There are more interpreters wandering the ante-natal department than there are midwives. Which is clearly a big part of the problem.
- Jc, London
This is absolutely typical of this Government. They throw taxpayers money at the NHS but nobody has the intelligence to ensure the funds are being spent appropriately. NHS Trusts can spend funds how they like as they is no supervision. I suspect funds go on over-inflated salaries for the executives, refurbishment and legal fees & compensation relating to patients who suffer appalling treatment at the hands of the NHS.
NHS Trusts should not be allocated any funds until they produce a detailed report on where it is going to be spent and at year end, they should have to report back to Government confirming how the funds were allocated.
Honestly, it is not rocket science; this would never happen in the private sector.
- Sally Mills, London UK
Is it in an Icelandic bank?
- Maggie, London
Labour believes that throwing money at a problem is the same thing as fixing the problem. Maybe one day they'll understand that it's not how much you spend that matters, it's how you spend it.
- Ian, London
