§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what he estimates the cost to be for maintaining maternity facilities at Everest Maternity Home in Swanage at a satisfactory level.
§ Mr. MoyleNo meaningful estimate can be given, since Dorset Area Health Authority was obliged to close the Everest
42Wnumber of hospital nursing staff in whole-time equivalents and per 1,000 head of population served by hospitals managed by health authorities in the region is set out below for September 1974, 1975 and 1976 by region:
Maternity Home temporarily on 1st April 1977 because suitably qualified midwives could not be recruited to fill vacancies.
The area health authority is currently proposing the permanent closure of the Home in its "Consultative Document on the Strategic Planning of Hospital Maternity Services in East Dorset." Its main reasons are not financial, but relate to the staffing difficulties and to medical advice that it is safer for births to take place in district general hospital units which have the expertise and facilities to deal with any complications which may occur.