An understaffed maternity unit at a hospital is "failing" women every day, a Labour shadow health minister reportedly told a group of mothers.
Following a second suspension of the use of gas and air pain relief at Basildon University Hospital in Essex, Feryal Clark MP met the women.
Under Basildon's care, one expectant mother revealed that she is thinking about switching the location of her delivery.
Giving "the best care" was a top priority, a hospital spokesman stated.
The unit was "failing mothers day in and day out, and something needs to be done," Ms. Clark said to the women as she spoke to them in a cafe in Thurrock, a nearby city.
The current state of the services, according to Ms. Clark, "is heartbreakingly poor; Basildon is unable to provide women with the basics—gas and air.".
Women in this country are not receiving adequate maternity care. ".
During routine testing in the unit in June 2021, nitrous oxide levels of almost 3,000 parts per million (ppm) were found.
100 ppm is the permitted exposure level at work.
After delaying notification of the breach until October 2022, the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust issued an apology to the staff.
Entonox, the medication, was temporarily put on hold in December while a new ventilation system was being installed. It was temporarily put on hold once more last month as a result of discrepancies in additional test results.
Because vitamin B12 is depleted during acute exposure to nitrous oxide, anaemia can result. It has also been linked to problems with fertility.
Entonox was also discontinued by other hospitals in England, such as Ipswich and the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, but it has since been reinstated.
Ana Tormey is 19 weeks pregnant, and despite having an "amazing" community midwife in Basildon, she said the problem has her thinking about having the baby at home or in a different hospital.
The Corringham, Massachusetts-based 36-year-old mortgage broker administrator said, "It genuinely terrifies me because that's the only option I was really looking for.".
"This is the only child I will have, so I want to be aware of it and experience it. ".
Every month, up to 350 babies are delivered at Basildon Hospital.
The unit "did not have enough maternity staff with the right qualifications, skills, training, and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm," according to inspectors in the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.
Additionally, according to the same CQC report, staff "worked together as a team to benefit women" and to "provide good care.".
The trust reports that since the inspection, 18 newly qualified midwives have been hired.
There is a "lack of trust" in her community of maternity care, according to Irene Muma, the 32-year-old founder of Black Working Mothers Network.
The HR business partner from Grays, who gave birth in 2020 at Basildon, also claimed that the removal of Entonox would make women's "choices" less clear and lead to "a lot of anxiety.".
The hospital's "service leaders had a good understanding of the populations they served," the most recent CQC report did note.
Katie Rippe, who had three children at Basildon in the previous five years, praised the "very positive" experience she had there and the "very attentive" staff.
Although the Chafford Hundred, England, resident, who teaches hypo-birthing methods, said she empathizes with anyone denied gas and air, she added: "I couldn't imagine being in that situation myself and feeling one of my choices had been taken away from me. ".
Lillie Swinden, a 24-year-old Stanford-le-Hope cleaner who gave birth to her daughter in 2021, claimed that she could not have survived her "difficult" labor without gas and air.
Thomas was born to Polish-born Agnes, who now resides in Grays, at Basildon in November just before the pain medication was stopped.
The 39-year-old woman who underwent an emergency Caesarean section reported having conflicting experiences with the staff, including the "nicest" anesthetist, but she felt that the way staff members communicated with families needed to be improved.
Stephen Metcalfe, a Conservative member of parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock, stated: "I completely understand the concerns being raised by expectant mothers, but have been assured that alternative pain relief measures are in place. ".
As previously promised, the hospital will get in touch with every expectant mother to go over additional pain management options.
The maternity unit's top priorities are safety and providing the best care and experience for women and those giving birth, said a trust spokesman, who also urged anyone with specific concerns or feedback to contact them. ".
According to a spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care, the organization is "working to make the NHS the safest place in the world to give birth.".
According to the government, it added £127 million last year to its budget for maternity staffing.
