Opening of Scarborough Hospital maternity unit delayed (From Gazette & Herald)

Opening of Scarborough Hospital maternity unit delayed

11:25am Wednesday 9th September 2009

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THE new £1 million state-of-the-art maternity unit at Scarborough Hospital is not due to open until later this year.

It was originally planned to be open in July, but a spokesman for the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust said that more midwives were currently being recruited.

Meanwhile, said the spokesman, Malton Hospital continues to offer patients the full maternity package including midwifery-led deliveries “for those who meet the strict criteria for being a low risk pregnancy”.

Howard Keal, Prospective Liberal Democrat candidate for Thirsk and Malton, said: “The longer wait for the delivery of the midwife-led unit at Scarborough Hospital gives a temporary reprieve to Malton maternity unit.

“I’ve now been given an assurance that access to Malton is going to be maintained for mums with low-risk births right up to when the new unit is set up.”

He added: “ Mums need to be aware that for many of them there is an opportunity to go to Malton Hospital and I have been told the unit will open out of its normal hours.

“Malton’s unit should in my view – and that of local mums – remain open even when Scarborough comes on stream, but the trust is determined to close it.”

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