A vital midwifery service for women in South Cheshire is going into administration, it was announced today.
One to One (North West) Limited will end its service on July 31 – eight months earlier than its initial contract was due to expire on March 31 2020.
The company’s registered office is on Alvaston Business Park in Nantwich. Emails bounced back and calls were not taken today.
NHS health chiefs are now contacting all women and families across Cheshire who have been using the support service.
In total, 1,664 women were supported by the service, supporting South Cheshire, West Cheshire and Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Groups, as well as those in Wirral, Liverpool, Warrington, South Sefton and Southport and Formby.
Of the 1,664 women registered with One to One, around 1,600 are registered for ante-natal care, with the remainder receiving post-natal care.
In South Cheshire, 213 women and Vale Royal 100 women are currently registered with One to One.
In a statement from Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU), a spokesperson said: “NHS Commissioners have been advised that One to One (North West) Limited have taken the decision that they are unable to continue with their contract to provide community midwifery services and will go into administration at 5pm on Wednesday 31st July 2019.
“Our priority has been to ensure that those women registered with the One to One (North West) Limited service can continue to access the support they need.
“Women affected are being contacted directly by a dedicated team to make arrangements to transfer their care to an alternative provider.
“The team can also be contacted on 0151 604 7688/9 and is available from 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday.”
The contract to provide case loading midwifery led community services by One to One (North West) Limited has been in place since 2016.
A procurement exercise is currently ongoing to seek a new provider for this service.
This is what happens when we allow creeping privatisation to get a foothold in the NHS
It is not possible to overdramatise here. There are a lot of heavily pregnant women due to give birth in the next few weeks who are now completely unaware of who will support them to have the birth they were planning.
I think you will find that midwives who have cared for all of these women across south Cheshire have personally called these women today to let them know. Please don’t dramatise more than required
Being one of the women who was under the midwives I wasn’t told. I found out from a Facebook post with just one week until due date, so no, we didn’t get told personally.
I also have not been told personally, I found out through their facebook post. Sorry but completely unacceptable!