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Changes In Obstetrics: An Interview With Professor Richard Beard
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Beard, Richard |
| Copyright Year | 1977 |
| Abstract | Maternity services have come under attack twice recently: in the DHSS review of priorities' and in the "Think Tank's" review of population trends.2 Does a fall in the birth rate necessarily warrant a cut in NHS expenditure on obstetrics? That was the first question put to Professor Richard Beard in an interview with a member of the BMJ staff. Professor Beard accepted that the initial implication of a fall in births was that obstetric units throughout the country would be doing less work. Undoubtedly there was a need to cut back on the numbers of both beds and staff in obstetrics. But the danger was that money would be taken away unthinkingly to _2 zill | | * 11 futhe detriment of the whole service. He believed very strongly that first of all we should be asking where obstetrics was going and what type of service should be provided for the future. Only after a definite policy for the future had been established would it be possible to start Professor Richard Beard, Professor of to take money away, reduce Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Mary's the number of beds that Hospital, London W2v were available, and to alter the service. "The big danger that worries obstetricians is that all the things that we have achieved-a low perinatal mortality and safety for the mother in pregnancy-will be endangered by an unthinking attitude towards savings. The important thing is to define who is at risk," he commented. "The problem of maternal mortality has largely been overcome-pregnancy and labour are no longer a risk to the mother. It is the problem of the fetus that concerns us at the moment, because the quality of the fetus is our investment for the future in the family and for the country. Our major objective must be the delivery ofa baby in perfect condition. There is even more sense to that argument than first meets the eye, because if we can achieve that objective we would reduce the needs for paediatricians and special care baby units." |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/2/6081/251.full.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Discussion |
