A Cumbrian MP has written to the Government to ask for an urgent meeting after birth services were suspended at a county maternity unit.
In May, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust suspended birth services at Helme Chase maternity unit at the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal for six months.
It was due to a lack of midwives available to safely staff the unit.
It is a midwife-led unit and supports around two births a month.
Now Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the temporary closure.
More than 2,000 people have signed Tim’s petition calling for investment from the Government to address the staffing issues at Helme Chase.
Writing to Mr Streeting, Mr Farron said: “Our maternity unit has been underfunded for years now by the trust due to Conservative Government cuts to rural health services.
“I am greatly concerned that a temporary six month suspension could become a permanent closure unless urgent is action is taken. The trust needs to be given the funding and resources to properly staff Helme Chase and give the unit a new lease of life after years of underinvestment.
“I would be incredibly grateful if you were able to meet with me to discuss this issue as a matter of urgency.”
At the time of the suspension, Sue Stansfield, interim director of midwifery, at the University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust, said: “Protecting our women, pregnant people and colleagues and keeping them safe must be our number one priority.
“We no longer have the number of midwives available to safely staff the unit and its on call arrangement that are in place overnight and at weekends – despite ongoing work to recruit to vacant posts.
“Therefore, we are making the difficult decision to temporarily suspend birth services at the unit for a period of six months.
“This period will allow us to offer safe home birthing and birth services at our other two units, whilst working with maternity teams to review the way we use our colleagues across the trust.”
