Dads urge d-day push (From Warrington Guardian)

Dads urge d-day push

CONGLETON dads are urging parents to make their voices heard to save maternity and children's services at Macclesfield Hospital.

The call came at a public meeting on Tuesday night into a review of local health services.

Under the Making It Better proposals Congleton mums could have to travel to Manchester, Crewe or Newcastle to have their babies.

The preferred option would see inpatient services for pregnant women, children, young people and sick babies move from Macclesfield Hospital to other hospitals.

The Congleton-based Save Our Wards campaign is asking people to vote for option D, one of four options in forms being delivered to local homes this week.

That is the only option which would retain inpatient paediatric and obstetric services at Macclesfield Hospital.

Making it Better looks at north west services, and the other review, Future Healthcare, examines health services in East Cheshire.

Residents are being asked to choose one of three options, each keeping accident and emergency at Macclesfield Hospital if it retained inpatient obstetrics and paediatrics.

People voiced their concerns about the possible loss of maternity and children's departments at a packed meeting at Congleton Library.

Health bosses were quizzed by many of the 78 people attending the meeting, the first of two which are to be held in Congleton.

People were worried about the risks to women in labour having to travel much further to a maternity hospital, possibly late at night or along traffic-choked roads.

A retired midwife asked what would happen if a woman in labour was "bleeding to death" in Congleton, and had to travel as far as North Staffordshire Hospital.

Alex Lewis was one of the younger fathers at the meeting, and favoured option D.

"The only option for local people to vote for is D, and the key is for all of us to make sure our voices are heard," he said.

Another local dad, David Holland, said he would consider moving out of Congleton if option D was not chosen and Macclesfield Hospital lost inpatient maternity and paediatric services.

Cllr Andrew Thwaite was concerned about the difficulty Congleton pensioners would face in getting to Stepping Hill or Leighton Hospitals.