MP calls for House of Commons debate on cuts to maternity services
7th March 2008
Mike Penning reacts angrily to government denial of maternity service cuts.
Hemel MP and Shadow Health Minister Mike Penning responded angrily yesterday to the shocking statement by the Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman, that there have been no cuts to maternity services.
Ms Harman told MPs:
“There are not cuts in maternity services or accident and emergency; there has been record investment in our health services, including maternity services and accident and emergency.”
In response Mike said:
“In 1997, when the Labour Government sadly came to power, there was a consultant-led maternity unit in Hemel Hempstead hospital. That unit was quickly closed. In 2001, a birthing unit was opened in an attempt to protect the then Labour MP from losing his seat. Straight after the 2005 election, when I was elected, that was closed, too.”
He then called for a House of Commons debate on the subject, telling MPs:
“It is therefore not true that no cuts have been made in maternity services, as the Leader of the House said. They have. We must have a debate on maternity services, because cuts are being made throughout the country.”
Speaking afterwards he said:
”I was astounded that the Leader of the House could make such a patently false statement. Ask anyone living in Hemel Hempstead and they will tell you. Mothers used to be able to have their babies in Hemel, now they can’t. It cannot get more straightforward than that!”
He added:
“As for A&E – there is currently an A&E in Hemel and an A&E in Watford, but by the end of the year there will only be one in Watford. How can that be anything but a cut?
“Either this government doesn’t know what is happening on the ground – in which case they are incompetent as we’ve been telling them often enough – or they are trying desperately to cover up the truth.
”The sad fact is that whichever way, it is the people of Hemel who are losing out.”
TEXT FROM HANSARD
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead) (Con): In 1997, when the Labour Government sadly came to power, there was a consultant-led maternity unit in Hemel Hempstead hospital. That unit was quickly closed. In 2001, a birthing unit was opened in an attempt to protect the then Labour MP from losing his seat. Straight after the 2005 election, when I was elected, that was closed, too. It is therefore not true that no cuts have been made in maternity services, as the Leader of the House said. They have. We must have a debate on maternity services, because cuts are being made throughout the country.
Ms Harman: We want to ensure that we give mothers more choice about whether to have their babies at home, that we improve community midwife services and that we improve in-patient services, including specialist neonatal services. Nobody should imagine that maternity services were perfect when we came into government in 1997 and needed no change. That was far from the case. We needed change and improvement. There needed to be more midwives trained and more investment in the health service, and that is indeed what has happened.
