Thousands of mothers are protesting at a hospital’s decision to axe a “lifeline” service that teaches them how to breastfeed their babies.
King’s College Hospital is withdrawing specialist midwives from “milk cafes” used by about 5,000 mothers a year, many of them vulnerable, in deprived areas such as Peckham, Loughborough Junction and Streatham.
Campaign leader Michaela Lawrence, 38, a mother of two from West Dulwich, said: “I don’t think I’d have been able to breastfeed without them. The emotional and psychological support they offer is tremendous. For a lot of people who might be on the verge of post-natal depression, or find they’re struggling and isolated, it’s an essential lifeline.”
The midwives help new mothers ensure their babies are getting enough milk, and can spot conditions such as tongue-tie, which prevents babies from “latching on” to the breast properly.
Breastfeeding is known to be good for the health of mother and child. “With mums who want to breastfeed and can’t, it doubles the risk of post-natal depression,” Ms Lawrence said. She received help to feed daughters Romilly, two, and Poppy, 10 weeks.
More than 2,000 people have signed her petition supporting the service and the issue was raised yesterday in a parliamentary debate on National Breastfeeding Week. Helen Hayes, Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, spoke in the debate about the “grave situation” with the breastfeeding service. She told the Standard: “It is very regrettable that this decision appears to have been taken unilaterally by the hospital.”
King’s, in Denmark Hill, is massively in debt and says it is no longer willing to “subsidise” the Milk Spot community breastfeeding clinics with about £87,000 a year. It says the midwives are needed to fill vacancies on its wards. Most of the £290,000 annual cost of the cafes is paid for by Lambeth and Southwark councils.
King’s said: “Unfortunately we are not in a position to extend the midwives’ secondment beyond September. The midwives will return to where they are needed in the busy maternity services at the hospital. For financial reasons, we cannot continue to fund breastfeeding support in the community.”
Despite facing budget cuts, both councils pledged to try to keep the Milk Spots open if new midwives can be found.
