A FURIOUS family have described the reasons hospital chiefs gave for increased levels of monitoring on the maternity ward as a ‘falsification’.

The Warrington Guardian reported last week panicked parents had called for answers after suddenly being told women in labour will have to be constantly strapped to monitors and water births are highly unlikely for the next six weeks.

Mums were told the continuous monitoring had been brought in after a ‘small trend of lower birth weights’ but the family of a woman whose baby was stillborn on March 7 have hit out over the claims.

The mother of the woman involved, who does not wish to be named, said: “The policy has been changed because my daughter was not monitored in late labour and sent home having two-minute contractions.

“She had to be carried to the car by her partner as she could not walk and returned afterwards carried in by four midwives before the baby was delivered stillborn.

“When the Warrington Guardian story broke my daughter received a call from the head of midwifery telling her that the procedure has now been changed regarding sending mums home and monitoring the babies in labour.

“My daughter and her partner are incensed at the hospital claiming there was no particular reason for the policy change when the midwifery head said it was due to my daughter’s situation.”

The family have also claimed to have been told three other official complaints have been made recently over stillbirths at the hospital.

The mum added: “I am just furious that the hospital can deny anything is wrong.

“It is a whitewash.”

A hospital spokesman said around 70 babies have been born since extra monitoring had been brought in and the majority of mums reacted ‘favorably’.

Karen Dawber, director of nursing at the hospitals, said: “We see offering monitoring as a way that we can provide an informed choice to our women.

“As we have said, we have seen a trend with more potential complications than we would expect in labour.

“Our response in enhancing monitoring is in place for the right reasons and that is to ensure the best outcome for mum and baby.

“We did contact women who have lost a baby in recent months to explain about the decision as we felt that was the right thing to do as part of the ongoing support that we provide.

"Our still birth rates locally are lower than the national average but any time a baby is lost it is a tragedy and we look closely at every case.

"We provide extremely safe care in what it a very good maternity service that serves over 3,100 women each year and recently received the highest accreditation for our management of risk in the unit.”