Woman banned from giving birth at closest hospital
BBCA woman faces a "harrowing experience" of travelling an hour to give birth after she was banned from her nearest hospital.
Kristina Petrovic‑Hathaway, who lives in Moreton‑in‑Marsh, Gloucestershire, had hoped for her baby to be delivered at Warwick Hospital, which is about 40 minutes from her home, compared with the 60‑minute drive to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester.
But South Warwickshire University NHS Trust has recently suspended its maternity services for thousands of women in seven areas, including Gloucestershire.
Health chiefs said the "difficult decision was made to maintain the highest standards of care and safety" for patients.
Charity leaders from Gloucestershire Rural Community Council have said they understand safety for women giving birth is paramount, but the distance involved in travelling from Moreton to Gloucester is significant.
Barbara Piranty, the charity's CEO, said: "It's probably double in time to get [Gloucester]. It can be harrowing because the flow of traffic can be heavy. There's roadworks, accidents, all sorts of problems can occur."
The decision was taken by the trust last August with the aim of giving priority to people living in the Coventry and Warwickshire area.
It means people registered with GPs aligned with the following trusts will not be able to access Warwick's maternity services:
- NHS Gloucestershire
- NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire
- NHS Northamptonshire ICS
- NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West ICS (except for those registered with a GP practice in the Banbury area).
"I decided in my head I would like [to give birth] in Warwick, because their maternity unit is very good," Kristina said.
"I feel like the choice was taken away from me at a time that is very important in every woman's life and every family's life," she added.
Despite lodging a formal complaint and writing to politicians, the decision has not been changed.
If she was registered with a GP two miles closer to Warwickshire, she would have been able to give birth there.
MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown represents North Cotswolds and said he was appalled by the decision.
"I think people want freedom of choice as to what hospital or maternity centre they can go to," Sir Geoffrey said.
The MP has contacted NHS England to request an intervention and suggested the couple take their case to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
A spokesperson for South Warwickshire University Trust said they made the "difficult decision to update our acceptance criteria to ensure we maintain the highest standards of care and safety".
"Priority is given to women and birthing people who are registered with a GP in the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System (ICS)," they added.
The trust is also accepting referrals from individuals registered with GPs within the Birmingham and Solihull ICS and the Banbury area (OX15, OX16, and OX17).
Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.