Dr Starkey has written the following letter to her constituents concerned about midwifery services in Milton Keynes. It contains news that Milton Keynes Hospital and MK PCT are in the process of appointing an additional 18 midwives to help improve services.

"The Healthcare Commission, set up by the Government to ensure high standards across the NHS, has just published the results of its comprehensive survey of maternity services across all the 148 Primary Care Trusts in England.

Milton Keynes was among the group of “least well performing” trusts. I have in the past relayed to the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust the concerns expressed to me about the quality of local maternity care.

I am pleased therefore that Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has today announced that eighteen more midwives are set to join the Maternity Unit team. They will provide an essential boost to the maternity services delivered to the city. The enlarged team means that maternity services will be able to offer improved care and choice for mothers and babies.

In addition to increasing the numbers of midwives, the hospital is also improving leadership within the midwifery workforce through the appointment of a new Head of Midwifery, who is set to join the Trust in March 2008.

The new staff will join the Maternity Unit which is currently staffed by a team of over 150 people, including midwives, obstetrics and gynaecology consultants, matrons, nursery nurses, staff nurses, maternity care assistants and administrators.

Other actions being undertaken in partnership with the Primary Care Trust include a public consultation later this year on choices in maternity care, and a plan is being developed to ensure that maternity services can meet the demands of a growing population. I will continue to monitor the situation."