Mam Of Premature Twins Fights Plans To Downgrade Care
A County Durham mam who gave birth in a neonatal intensive care unit says its closure could cost babies lives.
A County Durham mam who gave birth in a neonatal intensive care unit says its closure could cost babies lives.
Kirsty Lowther had premature twins Noah and Ava at North Tees Hospital in Stockton, three months before they were due.
The twins, weighing under 4lb between them, needed expert care and spent three months in hospital.
Kirsty was so impressed with the standard of care at North Tees, she founded charity Neoangels, raising money to support the unit.
The 26-year-old funeral director said: "Literally, they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the care that they were given.
"I was told that if I'd given birth to them at home, they wouldn't have survived the 13-mile journey from my home address to North Tees.
"So it was crucial that they had the care that they were given or they wouldn't have survived."
Now, an NHS England report suggests downgrading services there from intensive care to just special care, making the closest baby intensive care unit James Cook in Middlesbrough.
The North East Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, who represent all 12 North East councils met to discuss the report.
It says James Cook, North Tees and Sunderland had the lowest birth rates in the UK and 325 babies were treated at North Tees last year.
MPs and councillors have expressed concern at the proposals, saying they need more information from NHS England about how they came to the recommendation.
Councillor Ray Martin-Wells said: "I have major concerns about the affect the proposal would have on the region as a whole.
"We need more information so that we can see what evidence there is for this recommendation.
"Clearly councillors were not comfortable with this and the committee requested that NHS England attend a further meeting so that they can explain themselves."
Kirsty said she will continue to fight for the unit and has started a petition, urging local MPs to get on board to save intensive care at the hospital.
To find out more about Kirsty's charity Neoangels click HERE and to sign her petition to save North Tees neonatal unit, click HERE.