- Do each of your maternity units which offer consultant-led births have two obstetric theatres available 24/7 with a full complement of staff available should the second theatre be needed? How long does it take to mobilise the second theatre and staff if it needed?
There is not always access to a second obstetric emergency theatre. There are two dedicated obstetric theatres, one of which is used for elective caesarean sections. When the elective list is ongoing, there is sometimes a free theatre within the complex however this is being used with increasing frequency for elective recovery work for other specialities. From a staffing perspective, there is always staffing to have two emergency cases occurring concurrently.
If the second theatre was already in use, another list would need to interrupted in order to facilitate the second emergency.
- If you don’t have a second obstetric theatre, what arrangements are in place should you have two obstetric emergencies requiring theatres at the same time? What hours are covered by these arrangements?
This has been identified as a risk and has formed part of a business case to secure extra elective c-section capacity.
- If you don’t have a second obstetric theatre, have you any plans to establish one? Has funding been obtained and how much?
This has been identified as a risk and has formed part of a business case to secure extra elective caesarean section capacity.
- How long approximately does it take to transfer a woman from the labour ward to
1. Your normal obstetric theatre?
Less than 5 minutes.
2. Whichever additional theatre would be used in the event of two emergencies at the same time?
Less than 5 minutes.
- Have you had any serious incidents/Datix (or other reporting system) reports in the last three years involving lack of timely access to fully staffed theatres in maternity emergencies?
There have been approximately 100 incidents in the past 12 months relating to both 1st and 2nd team and Theatre being in use at the same time.
- Please attach any policies you have on maternity
we have 141 guidelines in maternity.
