MATERNITY services are being expanded at a hospital to meet high demand - despite the government deciding they are not needed there.
Caesareans for many mothers in Wanstead and Woodford were temporarily diverted from Queen's Hospital in Romford to Homerton in October to ensure patient safety.
The deadline for returning services to Queen’s has passed and now Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust (BHRT) is waiting for permission to carry out c-sections in two theatres at King George Hospital which are currently only used for emergencies.
It has also sought permission to re-open a ward at Kings for post-natal care.
This is despite Health Secretary Andrew Lansley recently rubberstamping a decision to close maternity services at the Goodmayes hospital, which is also set to lose its accident and emergency department.
A recent Care Quality Commission report raised concerns about the standards of care at both hospitals, but it said Queen's was the more serious case.
Five mothers have died while under the care of Queen's over the last two years and 12 women or their relatives are suing the trust over the standard of care they received at the hospital.
Campaigners fighting cuts at King George say the move is further proof that the Government should rethink its long-term strategy for maternity care in Redbridge.
Geoff Horsnell of Save King George said: “This is really good news for us. This is proof the maternity services are needed at King George. It strengthens our hand.”
Fellow campaigner Helen Zammett, of Gloucester Road, Wanstead, added: “The first acid test has been failed completely, they are struggling to keep numbers down.
If they can’t meet that deadline, well what about the rest of it?”
A spokeswoman for BHRT said: “We have worked to improve quality, ensure all our newly recruited midwives are fully inducted, and also to plan how best to use our hospitals’ capacity, including fully utilising King George Hospital.
“The trust is working to improve our care further, but we have made significant progress, for example, in improving the level of one-to-one care for women in labour, reducing the waiting time for women to be assessed, and making sure women get access to pain relief quickly.
“We are planning a new midwife-led unit at Queen’s, and will start work on this when we have funding approval from our commissioners. “This will improve capacity at Queen’s and enable women to have choice over whether they want to give birth in a more homely environment.”
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