Staff Shortage in United Kingdom Blamed in Birth Errors

The following information was taken from The Independent, a news website based in the United Kingdom.

Many claim that childbirth is safer these days than ever before. However, birth injuries are still happening and the price of them has risen nearly 60 percent. Statistics show that 665 (pounds) have been paid out over the past three years to settle medical negligence claims where deliveries have gone horribly wrong.

The size of the payout shows just how great the burden of medical negligence is on health service providers, which diverts resources from patient care.

The Royal College of Obstetricians published a report that claimed far too little is being done to reduce the risks of childbirth and make it safer for both the mother and child. The report highlights how an error in labor can deprive oxygen to the babies' brains which lead to lifelong disabilities.

The Healthcare Commission, a governmental watchdog group, warned in it's annual report three years ago that there were serious deficiencies in maternity units. It blamed "weak managerial or clinical leadership" and said that some services were not up to standards. A poll of the Royal College of Midwives found that two-thirds of the midwives thought that their units were understaffed and one in five of them had lost staff in the past year.