NHS North East London says it may not have enough capacity in future if it does not change its delivery of maternity services, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

The NHS is reviewing its maternity services in north-east London, amid pressure from an ever-increasing birth rate.

The move comes as women are also having more complicated pregnancies and births, leading to a growing demand for the proper hospital care.

A report published by NHS North East London (NEL) also showed concerns have also been raised over often full neonatal beds, which makes “delivering care in the right place and right time” challenging, the integrated care board says.

Though staff are “hardworking,” they are finding themselves under more and more pressure.

Chineze Otigbah, a consultant obstetrician at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) said services across north-east London faced a “number of challenges”.

She added: “If we continue doing what we’re currently doing, we won’t have enough capacity available in the places where care needs to be delivered in the future.

“This tells us we need to make some changes and there are opportunities to make sure our services are safe, high quality and accessible for all, while meeting growing demand.”

Inequalities across different population groups and communities in the area can also have an impact on a woman’s health during pregnancy and affect newborn babies, the report showed.

NHS NEL found in 2022 that “outcomes were poorer” for black, Asian and minority ethnic women.

A report by the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit found that babies born to south-Asian or black mothers were more likely to be born early. They were also more likely to be born without medical assistance (birth without intervention)

The population of north-east London currently sits at around two-million people.

A NHS NEL study from December last year said it was projected to increase by around 300,000 people – an increase of 15% – by 2040.

It described the population boom as “by far the largest” in London and the equivalent of adding a new borough to the care system’s umbrella.

The Greater London Authority has predicted a 10% population increase in Havering, one of the eight boroughs covered by NHS NEL, over the next twelve years. It will rise from 262,000 to around 288,000 by 2036.

The changing demographics have already begun to put a strain on the suburban borough’s social services.

Ray Morgon, the leader of Havering Council since 2022, told the BBC: “Over a number of years, the demographics in Havering have radically changed. We’ve always been known to be an elderly borough – we still are – but what has radically changed is the young persons population.”

He added: “Despite increasing the demand for services, the budgets have not. Equally, the cost of care has rapidly increased.”

NHS NEL, which works with eight borough councils to deliver healthcare, also published a review of its sexual health services this week.

It outlined its goals to reduce the number of unplanned and teenage pregnancies over the next five years, as well as the number of abortions and repeat abortions.

The integrated care board plans to increase awareness among residents by making services more available to those with “complicated needs” and ramping up its marketing efforts.

It also hopes to reverse the increasing trend of sexually-transmitted infections, through “effective testing and treatment”.

Residents can complete an online survey on the Case for Change report and how it reflects mothers’ experiences, which will run until 8th September.

Complete the survey here

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