Legal fight launched in battle to save Stafford maternity unit

Stafford Borough Council leader Mike Heenan today revealed he was talking to lawyers about stopping the closure through the courts.

He said that health bosses were 'crossing the line' by downgrading maternity services. And the Conservative leader hopes the borough's other parties will support him.

A Government review of maternity services at the site does not start until November.

But council chiefs fear services are being transferred to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS)regardless.

Under the changes there would only be a midwife-led facility at the site which would only be able to deal with low risk births.

All other women will have to travel to either the UHNS, New Cross in Wolverhampton or Walsall Manor.

Bosses at the UHNS, which is taking over Stafford Hospital as part of moves to dissolve Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust following financial problems, say they are ploughing ahead with the implementation of recommendations put forward by administrators.

As part of the preparations, staff have been told the maternity unit has been earmarked for closure in January. Bosses insist they will await the outcome of the NHS England review due to begin later this year though.

Councillor Heenan said: "I was devastated by this. The people of Stafford have indicated clearly that they do not support the movement of consultant led maternity services to UHNS and Wolverhampton. I immediately consulted our solicitors with a view to pursuing a legal challenge.

"We must take their advice on the timing and type of action this would mean as my only aim is to ensure we protect a full maternity service at Stafford Hospital, and to do that we need the proper and professional legal advice.

Councillor Heenan added he had not received answers to the questions in legal letters that had been sent to Mark Hackett at the UHNS.

"He has not provided answers but instead has asked for a meeting. But I will only be happy to meet with him if he will have those answers, because I have no intention of being fobbed off."

He continued: "Maternity services have always been the red line for me and, if the likelihood is that line has been crossed, it seems inevitable the council will launch a legal challenge to fight any decision that does not protect a full maternity service at Stafford.

"I have contacted the other group leaders on the council as this has always been about cross-party support and not about playing party politics – and I am keen to ensure that continues."

Councillor Chris Baron last week revealed she was putting forward an emergency motion to the next borough council cabinet meeting calling for legal action..

It comes after two applications to launch legal bids against the downgrading of the hospital were rejected by the courts. Parliamentary candidate Kate Godfrey and the Support Stafford Hospital groups both had their bids vetoed.

Gavin Russell, associate medical director at UHNS said: "There are current and emerging concerns around the safety of certain services at Stafford Hospital, particularly related to acute surgery, anaesthetics, radiology and paediatrics – all of which a consultant led obstetrics unit needs to operate safely. We take these safety concerns very seriously and, in line with the move of acute surgery and anaesthetics in January, have therefore started to look at what arrangements we might need to put in place for other services.

"This takes into account safety issues and implementation of the trust special administrators recommendation's, which is why we have begun to talk to staff about what those plans might look like."