Use of nitrous oxide at Ipswich Hospital's maternity unit suspended over safety fears
The gas is a common form of pain relief for mothers giving birth
Doctors at Ipswich Hospital have suspended the use of nitrous oxide at the maternity unit amid safety fears about the level of gas in the air.
Also known as Entonox or gas and air, nitrous oxide is a common form of pain relief for mothers giving birth.
The decision to suspend its use comes after doctors at Basildon Hospital were forced to stop using it, after tests found potentially harmful levels of the gas in the air.
Dr Giles Thorpe, Chief Nurse at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The results have shown that there are some areas at Ipswich maternity unit where the levels of residual nitrous oxide are higher than we would want them to be and are above the ‘safe’ levels identified in national guidance.
“We need to improve ventilation in all our birthing rooms and on the delivery suite at Ipswich Hospital and have placed an immediate order for 13 mobile units (known as scavengers) to remove any excess nitrous oxide in the air.
"It is likely to be five to seven days before these mobile units arrive.
“Therefore, we have taken the decision to protect all of our staff by stopping the use of nitrous oxide at Ipswich maternity unit until the mobile units are in place.
"This decision comes into effect immediately. We will, of course, make sure that pregnant people will be offered alternative support.
“There is no concern that using nitrous oxide is harmful to pregnant people, the issue is the residual levels left in the air after it has been used.
"Better ventilation will mean that we can make sure that the levels of nitrous oxide in the environment are within safe levels at all times.”
The maternity unit at Colchester Hospital, which is also run by the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, isn't affected as Entonox is piped into the building.