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LEE and Sue Hughes with surviving twin Michael and his brother James.
LEE and Sue Hughes with surviving twin Michael and his brother James.

‘To close maternity would be outrage’


12/ 1/2006

SUSAN and Lee Hughes know more than most parents the value of having a maternity unit close to home and are backing the Advertiser's campaign to keep Hope Hospital's threatened unit open.

It was at Hope where there twin boys Michael and Anthony were born prematurely almost eight years ago.

Sadly Anthony lost his fight for life after just 12 days but Michael, who weighed just 1lb 15oz at birth, was treated in the special care baby unit and his parents say the care he received there was responsible for keeping him alive.

Susan, a midwife at Hope, is outraged by the proposal to close the unit.

The 39-year-old, of Oxford Road, Salford, said: "When you look at statistics, Salford is one of the most deprived areas in the north west so it's going to be very difficult for a lot of women to travel to other areas.

"Hope has got its own birth centre run by midwives for women at low risk but they've always got the consultants on hand at the hospital should anything go wrong. If this goes ahead they won't have any of that."

Susan, whose two other children James, 12, and Jennie, six, were also born at Hope, added: "It's bad enough going home from hospital without your babies anyway but living just up the road meant I was able to walk to the hospital each day. I was able to go and see my babies each day but also still get on with normal life.

"If the hospital was further away and I'd had to stay there overnight my whole life would have been put on hold."

Susan says the public need to get involved and protest against the plans now before it is too late.

She added: "It's going to be one of those things that you keep hearing about but don't think it'll ever happen and then suddenly you're told it will close next week. People need to voice their opinions now."


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   I think its absolutely disgraceful that the families of Salford are threatened with this closure. I also think its a dangerous proposal and dismisses the safety and well being of women and children in and around Salford. Has this been thought through properly? Or do the powers that be not really care?What will happen to future generations? True Salfordonians will become extinct!
Kathy Walker, Leigh
16/01/2006 at 22:47
   To close smaller maternity units is unacceptable. Many families from lower socio-economic groups rely on the location of smaller units.
Rebecca Forryan, Wiltshire
16/01/2006 at 20:46
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