Peoples Paper
Object
Newspaper
Production date
1971
Object number
2026.25
Physical Description
Peoples Paper newspaper Aug/Sep No. 5: 'your baby could have been killed'
Dimension
Height (Cover): 440mm
Width (Cover): 305mm
Width (Cover): 305mm
On display?
No
Inscription
PEOPLES PAPER
'your baby could have been killed'-local doctor.
In the June edition of 'Which' magazine there was a report on the quality of maternity services in three different parts of Britain. As a result of that article, and prompted by a number of complaints that we have received from time to time, we decided to investigate conditions for mother's locally. So far our initial investigations have produced some fairly alarming facts, we are convinced that there has been a serious deterioration in the quality of the national health service, one that gives very real cause for concern.
The 'Which' report concluded with the following criticisms and recommendations, each of which we are looking at in this area.
1.Criticism of delays in anti-natal clinics and surgeries.
2.Lack of privacy and respect accorded to women by the system.
3.Lack of co-ordination between departments and conflicting advice given by different officials.
4.Insufficient information for mothers having babies at home (how to cope in emergencies, etc)
5.Insufficient attention to mothers in labour in hospital, insufficient help with pain.
6. Lack of information about choice of hospitals.
7.Insufficient freedom of choice in feeding methods.
8.Inadequate free contraceptive advice to mothers.
HACKNEY & QUEEN ELIZABETH GROUP
HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MOTHERS' HOSPITAL (SALVATION ARMY)
LOWER CLAPTON ROAD
LONDON, E5
TELEPHONE: 985 6661
Regarding waiting times in anti-natal clinics, both the 'Mothers Hospital' and the Maternity Unit of the Hackney Hospital (the two main maternity units locally) use a block booking system, that is the procedure whereby a large number of mothers all arrive at the same time, say 2.30pm and then another group at say 3pm and so on. This frequently causes long delays and invariably more mothers are given appointments than can be seen in the available time. Some mothers we have talked to claim to have spent up to three and a half hours on their first visit, just to fill in three forms and collect a few iron pills.
All pregnant women are issued with free iron pills, but often, and this appears particularly so at he 'Mothers Hospital' they are not told that they are also fully entitled to free vitamin pills too. These can be collected from the Welfare Foods Centres. One could have thought that the Health Service and hospital administrators would have had the wit to have supplied the vitamin pills at the same time as the iron pills.
But, well after all, what does it matter if a few working class pregnant mums have to travel across Hackney (a borough noted for its 'efficient' public transport services) to collect essential pills (provided of course they know about them in the first place) Efficient management perhaps in the administrators interests, and the tories are all in favour of good 'efficient' management.
On the question of special diets, neither local hospital has any constructive policy on advising mothers on a sensible diet, essential for the well-being of the developing foetus. Neither of them issue diet sheets, or in fact give any advice whatsoever. The mother is simply asked on each visit, 'Are you eating well?'
One can't get a ore pointless question than that. Typically, the hospitals compound this lack on concern for a good diet by giving the mothers in hospital the most ill-advised diet. A typical breakfast at the 'Mothers' hospital is greasy fish fingers. Eggs and fresh milk are rare commodities, even for breast feeding mothers. And when they leave hospital, few mothers are told that they can buy a number of baby foods - at cheap prices - from the Welfare Foods Centres, instead they pay the exorbitant prices that the big manufacturers charge in the shops.
In the space of a short article, we can give few details, but let four case histories, told to us by local mothers, illustrate what its like to suffer the faults and omissions of the local services.
CASE 'A'
In April of this year, Mrs Z was taken into the Maternity Unity of the Hackney Hospital to have her baby. Two hours before the child was born she was asked, 'And what have they been giving you for the infection?' Her record stated that she had been suffering since Christmas from an infection of the kidneys which had been spreading. No treatment whatever had been given. 'It could have killed your baby' said the doctor tactfully to the woman after her child was born.
'your baby could have been killed'-local doctor.
In the June edition of 'Which' magazine there was a report on the quality of maternity services in three different parts of Britain. As a result of that article, and prompted by a number of complaints that we have received from time to time, we decided to investigate conditions for mother's locally. So far our initial investigations have produced some fairly alarming facts, we are convinced that there has been a serious deterioration in the quality of the national health service, one that gives very real cause for concern.
The 'Which' report concluded with the following criticisms and recommendations, each of which we are looking at in this area.
1.Criticism of delays in anti-natal clinics and surgeries.
2.Lack of privacy and respect accorded to women by the system.
3.Lack of co-ordination between departments and conflicting advice given by different officials.
4.Insufficient information for mothers having babies at home (how to cope in emergencies, etc)
5.Insufficient attention to mothers in labour in hospital, insufficient help with pain.
6. Lack of information about choice of hospitals.
7.Insufficient freedom of choice in feeding methods.
8.Inadequate free contraceptive advice to mothers.
HACKNEY & QUEEN ELIZABETH GROUP
HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MOTHERS' HOSPITAL (SALVATION ARMY)
LOWER CLAPTON ROAD
LONDON, E5
TELEPHONE: 985 6661
Regarding waiting times in anti-natal clinics, both the 'Mothers Hospital' and the Maternity Unit of the Hackney Hospital (the two main maternity units locally) use a block booking system, that is the procedure whereby a large number of mothers all arrive at the same time, say 2.30pm and then another group at say 3pm and so on. This frequently causes long delays and invariably more mothers are given appointments than can be seen in the available time. Some mothers we have talked to claim to have spent up to three and a half hours on their first visit, just to fill in three forms and collect a few iron pills.
All pregnant women are issued with free iron pills, but often, and this appears particularly so at he 'Mothers Hospital' they are not told that they are also fully entitled to free vitamin pills too. These can be collected from the Welfare Foods Centres. One could have thought that the Health Service and hospital administrators would have had the wit to have supplied the vitamin pills at the same time as the iron pills.
But, well after all, what does it matter if a few working class pregnant mums have to travel across Hackney (a borough noted for its 'efficient' public transport services) to collect essential pills (provided of course they know about them in the first place) Efficient management perhaps in the administrators interests, and the tories are all in favour of good 'efficient' management.
On the question of special diets, neither local hospital has any constructive policy on advising mothers on a sensible diet, essential for the well-being of the developing foetus. Neither of them issue diet sheets, or in fact give any advice whatsoever. The mother is simply asked on each visit, 'Are you eating well?'
One can't get a ore pointless question than that. Typically, the hospitals compound this lack on concern for a good diet by giving the mothers in hospital the most ill-advised diet. A typical breakfast at the 'Mothers' hospital is greasy fish fingers. Eggs and fresh milk are rare commodities, even for breast feeding mothers. And when they leave hospital, few mothers are told that they can buy a number of baby foods - at cheap prices - from the Welfare Foods Centres, instead they pay the exorbitant prices that the big manufacturers charge in the shops.
In the space of a short article, we can give few details, but let four case histories, told to us by local mothers, illustrate what its like to suffer the faults and omissions of the local services.
CASE 'A'
In April of this year, Mrs Z was taken into the Maternity Unity of the Hackney Hospital to have her baby. Two hours before the child was born she was asked, 'And what have they been giving you for the infection?' Her record stated that she had been suffering since Christmas from an infection of the kidneys which had been spreading. No treatment whatever had been given. 'It could have killed your baby' said the doctor tactfully to the woman after her child was born.