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Home birth service closed as report claims midwives put babies at risk
Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor23 Dec 2009
A pioneering home birth service has been axed amid concerns it had 10 times the normal rate of babies born with serious complications such as brain damage.
The Albany practice, an independent group in South London previously described as a "gold standard" for the midwifery sector, had its contract with the NHS terminated after an inquiry into alleged poor practice over 30 months.
The move has prompted a campaign by the group's supporters, who yesterday marched to the Department of Health in a bid to have their case heard. They claim the service was terminated because NHS managers preferred hospital births. Under the Albany group, all women have their babies delivered by the first midwife they see during their pregnancy, with almost half giving birth at home.
Becky Griffiths, 28, had her first boy, Oran, at home with Albany midwives two years ago. Her second child is due in January. She said: "I had excellent one-to-one care and the benefit of forming a relationship with my midwife.
"Now they are telling me my home birth will be provided by community midwives, but I don't want strangers turning up on my doorstep when I'm in labour. I am absolutely furious."
But a spokesman for King's College Hospital, which commissioned the report by the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries, defended the decision.
He said: "While the report reinforced our view of the excellent relationships formed between Albany midwives and their expectant mothers, it also highlighted serious shortcomings in terms of non-compliance with [hospital] trust policies and risk management procedures, particularly during labour and with newborn babies."
The report revealed that the hospital identified 11 cases where brain damage was caused by a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain in the two-and-a-half years to January. It concluded that "risk factors for a poor outcome in pregnancy were being overlooked by Albany midwives".
Reader views (2)
Midwives have long been a challenge to paternalistic medicine and its attempts to 'medicalise' the birthing process. In many countries in the world the hospital is literally the LAST place you would go if you were in labour. In Holland 1 in 3 births are at home. It is regarded as the best place. We think so too. But more than WHERE we give birth it is important HOW we give birth and that needs safe, calm, friendly, non-invasive, woman-centred, intelligent continuity of care with informed choice offered throughout the whole pregnancy and labour. All this and more was provided by the Albany Practice. That may be why it was shut down. Too much autonomy offered to pregnant women - whatever next? They may start taking responsibility for themselves and their children's health and then where would we be???
- Rix, london UK, 01/01/2010 18:50
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Seems strange to go from the Gold standard to being shut down. Surely the problems could be addressed rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
- Sean, London, 24/12/2009 08:53
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