Charity calls for long term support for " beyond capacity" maternity services
The Welsh Government says families will have a clearer route to raise urgent concerns about a mother or baby’s health under a new scheme
A charity has called for long-term support and funding for maternity services in Wales, saying they are “beyond capacity”.
The comments come as a new scheme is being rolled out to give families a way to raise urgent concerns if they think a mother or baby’s health is getting worse in hospital.
The “Call for Concern” scheme allows women, parents and families to request an urgent clinical review across maternity and neonatal wards.
The Welsh Government says families are often the first to notice when something is not right, and their concerns “need to be heard and acted on”.
But Tracy Sweetland-Hodges, Project Coordinator at Mothers Matter, says the current support available to families is not always strong enough.
She told us “everybody is beyond capacity” when it comes to supporting mothers, with some turning to third-sector organisations because they cannot get the help they need from public services.
Tracey explained a “ lack of trust within our health service” and that complaints can sometimes be made “and that’s where it starts and that’s where it stops”.
Ms Sweetland-Hodges is calling for more investment from the Welsh Government.
“It’s no good making a phone call today when you are in that crisis and having an email, a telephone call or a home visit days, weeks or months later, because that’s passed,” she said.
She said the new scheme was a step in the right direction, but warned it needed long-term investment and staff to work effectively adding “Without the funding, without the retention of staff, you’re not going to make anything work.”
The scheme is being introduced across adult, paediatric, maternity and neonatal wards across Wales.