Extra £1m. is needed for maternity services
AN EXTRA £1m. is needed to bring maternity services up in standard.
Health and Social Services has requested the sum in an amendment to the 2015 Budget, which will be debated this month, off the back of its emergency review into the quality of midwifery care.
It follows the death of a newborn baby earlier this year.
And for the first time it has been confirmed that St John Ambulance and Rescue would have withdrawn its service if the Civil Contingency Authority had not stepped in to strike a deal with the organisation.
That agreement has meant HSSD, which was looking to bring the service in-house, has now been forced to submit an amendment requesting a £360,000 increase to the proposed subsidy of £2.28m.
The increase of just over £1m. to maternity services means that HSSD has had to make a request to suspend States policies holding it to a real terms freeze on government spending.