PCTs not allocating enough funds to maternity services
23 Jan 2009
Up to half of primary care trusts (PCTs) are not meeting government commitments to improve safety and choice of maternity services, says the Health Service Journal.
The Journal revealed that more than a third of PCTs are not allocating extra government funds to maternity services. The PCTs claim that providers should find the money from increased tariff payments.
A Department of Health policy known as Maternity Matters says that by the end of 2009, parents should have increased choice in the following areas:
- Type of ante-natal care
- Birth at home, midwife-led or consultant led unit
- Place of postnatal care
In January 2088, health secretary Alan Johnson announced that PCTs would get an extra £330m in 2008-2011 to help them meet these demands.
The Health Service Journal contacted 82 PCTs to ask for information on how they were spending the extra funds. 31 didn’t provide a maternity plan or strategy, 41 didn’t provide details of workforce in their area, and 52 failed to give details of how they used the extra money.
Caroline Stokes, a medical negligence solicitor for Patientlawyers.com, said: “Improvements in maternity services should be a priority for PCTs to protect the well-being of mothers and babies throughout the UK.”
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