Released 22 May 2024
Request:
- Do each of your maternity units which offer consultant-led births have two obstetric theatres available 24/7 with a full complement of staff available should the second theatre be needed? How long does it take to mobilise the second theatre and staff if it needed?
- If you don’t have a second obstetric theatre, what arrangements are in place should you have two obstetric emergencies requiring theatres at the same time? What hours are covered by these arrangements?
- If you don’t have a second obstetric theatre, have you any plans to establish one? Has funding been obtained and how much?
- How long approximately does it take to transfer a woman from the labour ward to a) Your normal obstetric theatre? b). Whichever additional theatre would be used in the event of two emergencies at the same time?
- Have you had any serious incidents/Datix (or other reporting system) reports in the last three years involving lack of timely access to fully staffed theatres in maternity emergencies?
- Please attach any policies you have on maternity emergencies/escalation.
Information disclosed:
- No, each of our 4 consultant-led maternity units have 1 obstetric theatre.
- Each of our 4 maternity units have 24/7 access to an additional general theatre if required.
- We are working towards establishing access to a second obstetric theatre on each of our 4 sites. We are currently completing a pilot on our Brighton site, and are working with the surgical division to find a permanent solution. We will then begin pilots at the other sites.
-
- Not applicable; the obstetric theatre for each of our maternity units is within the labour ward.
- The response to this question would vary depending on site and clinic scenario. All secondary theatres are sufficiently close to allow staff to meet the minimum requirements for performing a category 1 caesarean section, which is the baby is birthed within 30 minutes from the decision to perform a caesarean section being taken.
- Yes; there were 5 or fewer incidents that met this criteria over the last 3 years. This data has been anonymised in line with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Anonymisation: Managing Data Protection Risk Code of Practice as it relates to the disclosure of information relevant to a small number of living people.
- Please see attached PDF documents, “MP050 Caesarean Section Redacted”, “CG12030 Caesarean Birth Guideline Redacted” and “UHSx Maternity Escalation Policy UHSC022_Redacted” which we believe are relevant to your request.
Please note that these documents are being disclosed in full with the exception of staff names and/or contact details which have been removed/redacted under section 40(2) [personal information] exemption on the basis that this amounts to personal data.
Additional information about the Trust’s maternity services and maternity units can be found on our website.
Attachments:
MP050 Caesarean Section Redacted (1MB pdf)