Too Many Babies : Hospitals Cap Maternity Numbers

12.47.39pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 19th Dec 2006

The West Middlesex Hospital has joined the list of hospitals imposing a cap on the number of maternity cases which it is able to deal with. Kingston Hospital already imposes a cap. The West Middlesex, around a quarter of whose cases from the Whitton, St Margaret's and Twickenham are in Richmond Borough, has said that its numbers (3,700 expected in 2006, after 3,400 in 2005) are beyond its physical and staff capacity to deal with in a safe and satisfactory way.

Vincent Cable MP, who discussed the decision with Alison McIntosh, the Acting Chief Executive of the Hospital, said "The further narrowing of choice will cause inconvenience, and possibly some anxiety, to expectant mothers. It also makes a nonsense of the Government's claims to have introduced patient choice into the NHS. But I do understand the reason why the hospital has to give priority to safe delivery and good post-natal care. I was assured furthermore that once a local GP has found a hospital there will be continuous anti- and post-natal care without interruption. There are also hospitals a somewhat further away - like Queen Charlotte's where my grandson was born a few weeks ago - which I believe has capacity."