Councillors visit threatened maternity unit (From Sutton Guardian)

Councillors visit threatened maternity unit at St Helier Hospital

2:00pm Wednesday 6th February 2013 in Save St Helier By Sophia Sleigh, Reporter

Councillors from Sutton’s scrutiny committee visited a maternity unit previously earmarked for closure under the Better Services Better Value (BSBV) review.

BSBV is recommending that two hospitals in the region should lose their accident and emergency and maternity departments.

Last year the review, which is being carried out for a second time, recommended St Helier should lose its frontline services.

On Monday, February 4, councillors visited the labour ward, operating theatres and neonatal ward.

Mary Burstow, health of the well being and scrutiny committee, has been fighting against the proposals and said: "All the staff I spoke to were passionate about their work.  Sally Sivas, the head of midwifery, was just amazing. 

“She was calm, caring, very much in control and knew her stuff. 

“I was most impressed that Matthew Hopkins the chief executive appeared to know every member of staff by name - from the cleaner to the consultant. 

“The consultants we met were very much on the ball and spoke about their subject areas with a real passion for the job and a love of their patients.  Each baby was special."

When councilors asked Mr Hopkins about what the hospital was doing right and where others were doing less well he said: "It starts at the top – at board level and works its way down to every member of staff. 

“There is a St Helier way of doing things.  We care about our patients - we constantly promote on the job staff training and when we say things are important, such as infection control, we really mean it. 

“We specifically recruit staff who reflect that way of thinking and it pays dividends.”