Και πώς να κάνεις παιδιά στην Αγγλία;Οι γεννήσεις είναι πιο ασφαλείς (με τα δικά τους προηγούμενα δεδομένα) αλλά με τέραστιο κόστος

Labour in crisis: Staff shortage blamed for £665m payout in birth errors

By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor

Published: 08 October 2007

Childbirth is claimed to be safer than ever. Yet the price paid by the NHS for deliveries going catastrophically wrong has risen 59 per cent to £259m – enough to fund the consultants and midwives needed to save thousands of babies and mothers from harm

The dangers of childbirth in the modern health service are highlighted today by figures showing that £665m has been paid out over the past three years to settle medical negligence claims where obstetric deliveries have gone catastrophically wrong.

The size of the payout – enough to hire 1,000 extra consultants – reflects the enormous and growing burden of medical negligence on the health service, which is diverting scarce resources from patient care.

In a major report to be published today, the Royal College of Obstetricians will say that too little is being done to reduce the risks of childbirth and make it safer for mothers and babies. It will blame shortages of consultants and midwives, increasing pressure from a rising birth rate, and lack of training.

http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article3038383.ece