Memorandum by Southern Derbyshire Acute
Hospitals NHS Trust (MS 63)
PROFILE OF SOUTHERN DERBYSHIRE MATERNITY
SERVICES
BACKGROUND
Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
provides maternity services in Southern Derbyshire. Acute maternity
services are based at Derby City General Hospital with the midwifery
service managed and integrated across primary and secondary care.
In the late 1970's and early 1980's there were
up to seven maternity homes throughout Southern Derbyshire. The
last of these were closed in 1985, with all hospital maternity
care being provided at Derby City General Hospital. A Home Birth
Service has been maintained.
CURRENT SERVICES
The midwifery service provides care to over
6,500 residents of Southern Derbyshire. Approximately 4,300 give
birth at Derby City General Hospital, with the rest giving birth
in units in Nottinghamshire, North Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
The Home Birth rate is 5%, and the service has maintained full
UK Baby Friendly status since 1998. There is active partnership
working with PCT's and other agencies eg Sure Start, Drug &
Alcohol Action Team. The Caesarean Section rate is just below
the national average and is currently 21% for the service.
The maternity service has academic links with
the University of Nottingham with on site midwifery education
and a medical professorial unit. A new medical school in association
with Nottingham University is currently being built, with the
first students starting in September 2003.
The recent development of a fetomaternal unit
with modernisation monies enables women to access specialist screening,
scanning, day care assessment and triage services based on assessment
of their clinical need, including specific support for bereavement.
The appointment of a Midwife Consultant to support
the full implementation of midwife led care and to refocus the
on the skills and abilities of midwives in relation to physiological
pregnancy and birth took place nine months ago.
STAFFING
| wte |
| Consultant Obstericians | 9
|
| Midwife Consultant | 1 |
| Specialist Midwives | 4 |
| Midwives | 154 |
The midwives are managed by the acute services with midwives
working either mainly in community or acute settings. One team
works as a truly integrated team providing care to both high and
low risk women including intra-partum care. Birthrate Plus is
used in the midwifery service for workforce planning and decision
making.
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