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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think mothers shouldn't have to travel for 60+ miles to give birth?

44 replies

Iknowimnot · 05/08/2018 12:59

I know I'm not but a hospital here thinks it's fine. They shut their maternity ward and expect mothers to go to either one of two hospitals to give birth. Both on busy, slow roads, 60 miles away at worst.

Another hospital makes mothers travel 120 miles to give birth.

And the snp government does not give a shit. They do not care.

OP posts:
Lonecatwithkitten · 05/08/2018 13:02

They usually only shut when they are so full it would be unsafe to take more labouring women.

endofthelinefinally · 05/08/2018 13:03

That is shocking.
I would have had my 2nd and 3rd babies en route in that situation.
Very dangerous.
I asked about a home delivery for my 3rd but was refused on medical grounds.
I subsequently discovered my midwife would have had to travel 40 miles.
I was one of those awful people who called an ambulance. My labour was 45 minutes from first contraction to delivery.
I am so grateful to the paramedics.

Original poster
Iknowimnot · 05/08/2018 13:04

Not this time. Its because they haven't got staff and can't afford them.

OP posts:
BloomsButtons · 05/08/2018 13:22

I live very rurally. To give both here there is a strict criteria you must meet otherwise it's a 3 hour drive to the nearest city hospital.

HirplesWithHaggis · 05/08/2018 13:23

Ah, that evil SNP government that has asked repeatedly for powers over immigation and been KB'd every time. The one that still pays nurses a bursary to train, and covers tuition fees for doctors, and has given NHS staff a real pay increase, but still can't get enough staff because of the Brexit Scotland voted against. Those nasty Nats whose budget is controlled by WM...

No, of course women shouldn't have to travel those distances. How do you suggest the Scottish government fix it?

NorthernLurker · 05/08/2018 13:29

Yabu. If staff can't be recruited and aren't funded then a service cannot safely continue. Women are safer planning for a journey when labour starts with the back up locally of community staff and paramedics. If you want medical services five minutes away come and live in a city.

user139328237 · 05/08/2018 13:34

The Scottish government could start by reversing perverse tax rises that mean people on the same salary in Scotland have lower take home pay than those in England. Following that they could accept that for many rural Scotland is not seen as a prime location and may require higher pay that more central areas in order to encourage people to work there.
At the same time rural mothers need to understand that it is simply unviable to have as many maternity units in close proximity in rural areas as in built up more populous areas.

BoxsetsAndPopcorn · 05/08/2018 13:58

People know the downside of living rural before they plan children. We are highly lucky to have free maternity care, I can't get het up about it not being on everyone's door step.

bengalcat · 05/08/2018 14:01

In Canada mothers to be sometimes move miles from home into the hospital in late pregnancy especially where birth may not be straightforward to await delivery so no not bothered

SavannahSky · 05/08/2018 14:02

60 Miles at worst? So where's the other hospital?

havingabadhairday · 05/08/2018 14:05

bengalcat but this is the UK, where if you show up and the staff decide it's too early you get sent home again.

Ariela · 05/08/2018 14:12

Whaat's the homebirth provision like? Statistically less likely to have complications than a hospital birth.

HirplesWithHaggis · 05/08/2018 14:19

user139328237

The Scottish government could start by reversing perverse tax rises that mean people on the same salary in Scotland have lower take home pay than those in England.

People earning approx £33k + pay fractionally more income tax than in rUk, while approximately 70% of lower paid workers pay the same or less (up to £26k). In return they get all the benefits of free prescriptions, tution fees etc etc etc, which seems like a pretty good deal to me. But, given this results in more revenue for the Scottish gvt to spend on eg NHS, how would reversing it help any? Confused

tillytrotter1 · 05/08/2018 16:00

We had a 120km journey when second child was born, military hospital. In addition we spent 15 minutes waiting for the BP garage to open to be able to get our cheap petrol, the idea of splashing out a few DMs on other fuel horrified him.

PenCreed · 05/08/2018 16:11

I’m from the Highlands. 40 years ago my aunt had to drive 50 miles to give birth - there wasn’t a closer hospital back then either. It’s not great, but where would you put the hospitals in an area the size of Belgium (genuine equivalent geographical area for the Highlands area), with a sparse population, to make sure no-one has to do that?

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 05/08/2018 16:15

This nearly happened to me 12 years ago in England. Labour ward closed 30 mins after I got there, a brand new ward was unstaffed therefore unused and the ward that was open was full to capacity.

It’s not brilliant, but it’s nothing new and certainly not limited to SNP.

MrSpock · 05/08/2018 16:16

This is one of the reasons I booked an ELCS, to avoid the no staff/hospital too far/too busy issues.

There should be more hospitals with maternity facilities and more access to them for all.

BillyBollocks · 05/08/2018 16:17

This is in my home town, NHS G, OP?

It’s a bloody disgrace. The maternity unit for the district general hospital, has been downgraded due to ‘staffing issues’. More than 11,000 babies are born in this hospital every year and the hospital serves a wide surrounding area. However women must now go out with the county, to give birth, to another hospital 65 miles away, on a notoriously shit and slow road, that is very often closed in places in Winter or due to accidents. It’s also not particularly rural, the hospital is in a city in Scotland. Inmedium and high risk pregnancies these ladies will have no choice but to do this.

MrSpock · 05/08/2018 16:18

People know the downside of living rural before they plan children. We are highly lucky to have free maternity care, I can't get het up about it not being on everyone's door step.

Hmm
NeonK · 05/08/2018 16:22

If this is the hospital I think it is (or even if isn't, it's probably a similar scenario) then the heath board have been unable to recruit enough staff to provide a safe service. Nothing to do with no budget.

Yes, it's not ideal but would you rather they continue to provide an unstaffed, unsafe service with little or no medical support available?

NeonK · 05/08/2018 16:24

(And I'd normally be more than happy to lay the blame at the SNP's door if I could, but not in this case).

RobinEggs · 05/08/2018 16:27

Is this Torbay? I gave birth there - if I had been made to travel to Exeter or Plymouth I would have died. In the summer it can easily take about 2hrs to get to either of these places from where I live. It is absolute madness and so many people are going to suffer. it’s such a good ward as well, with loads of private rooms. But no staff so they’re closing! I think they’re just hoping everyone in Torbay/ South Hams will just stop getting pregnant.

RobinEggs · 05/08/2018 16:28

And Torbay isn’t a rural area, it’s a massive conurbation. Sounds like there are other hospitals doing this as well though from other posts.

HirplesWithHaggis · 05/08/2018 16:30

I don't think the SNP are responsible for Torbay! Grin But yes, there are problems in the rest of the UK too.

RobinEggs · 05/08/2018 16:43

Ah, may have possibly missed the last sentence of OP’s Grin