91Èȱ¬

There's mounting opposition across Wales to plans to reform maternity services, with warnings that lives will be lost if controversial proposals to reorganise care in North Wales go ahead.

Potential options for reconfiguring maternity and paediatric services across the region's three district general hospitals have sparked both protests and an inquiry by the Assembly's health committee into procedures for such reviews.

Options being considered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board could see consultant-led maternity deparments at Glan Clwyd, Bangor or Wrexham Maelor Hospitals replaced with midwife-led units.

Prestatyn GP Eamonn Jessup fears such a move at Glan Clwyd Hospital would mean expectant mothers having to travel long distances to either Bangor or Wrexham for emergency caesarean sections, inevitably endangering lives.

"If we say there are ten women in Glan Clwyd that have to have caesareans performed in 15 minutes, they cannot have that done, and that will be five to ten babies who will die," he tells Eye on Wales.

"Sorry to put it that bluntly but I really cannot see any way around that, and it will undoubtedly cause perinatal death I'm afraid."

Dr Jessup will be giving evidence this week to an inquiry by the Assembly's health, wellbeing and local government committee into the way such reviews are conducted by health boards.

Clwyd West AM Darren Millar, who chairs the committee, says the inquiry was sparked by the concerns of constituents about reviews in North Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, and across other areas of Wales.

"Clearly, if clinicians are telling us that downgrading of services... would lead to the deaths of mothers or their babies, then we have to listen to that and make sure that there aren't changes which are going to threaten people's lives."

"I don't want to see my constituents dying in the back of ambulances on the way to hospital."

"That's what we've got to prevent, and that's why these review processes have to pause, have to take stock, and have to listen to the public and those clinicians that are making those points."

Mother-of-three Nicola Chan, who had all her children at Glan Clwyd Hospital, is among those campaigning against the proposals. She gave birth to a fourth baby, who was stillborn, in August and needed an emergency caesarean.

Nicola, a teacher from Abergele, says, "Where would I be today, had those services not been there for me at the time?"

"It's just impossible to get out to the other two hospitals within the time to have an emergency section, or any emergency care given. I think they need to consider lives, and put patients' lives before their budgets."

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says that it aims to provide "high quality, safe and effective services" and would allow more time for clinicians to feed into the review process.

A spokesman stressed that the health board is currently engaging with stakeholders over the various options prior to a more formal consultation process - and that the views of clinicians and the public would be fully considered.