| # | Name | Comments |
|---|
| 1 | Steven Walker | |
| 2 | Frances King | We shouldn't have to go backwards with regards to choice of where to have our babies. This is 2007 -w e should have more choices available to us, not less. The next thing to go will be home births as there won't be the midwifes to deliver them..soon the only choice will be Calow.
Darley maternity unit was a fantastic facility, available to all mothers. As a first-time mum I found it so helpful to be in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. I left after four days, rested after my c-section and confident with breast feeding. |
| 3 | Alice Lockett | This important rural service should be maintained to allow choice for birth and post natal care for women in Derbyshire |
| 4 | Briavel Tresadern | |
| 5 | Sue Corner | My daughter was born at Darley in September 1999. It represents the gold standard of maternity care and should be celebrated for its successes and not closed on the back of a tragedy in this rather underhand way. |
| 6 | Emily Harding | I live in Glasgow and am lucky enough to live a few minutes walk away from a large maternity hospital with a fantastic midwives birthing unit, where my daughter was born. When my sister was pregnant I was very pleased to find out that she would be able to have her baby at Darley, not only because it would mean that she would not have to travel miles to a large hospital, but because I felt the philosophy of the unit, being run by midwives, having a relaxed homely atmosphere and encouraging breastfeeding was the best start that any new mother and baby could get. Later one of my close friends also had her baby at Darley. Both breastfed their babies and they got a happy and healthy start. I think the closure of the unit would be a great loss to the community, and new families would suffer as a result. |
| 7 | Rowena Bailey | I had both my children at Darley Maternity Unit and found the whole experience of childbirth enjoyable and my time there memorable. I attribute my success at breastfeeding to the care and support of the unit. |
| 8 | Sharon Talbot | I had all ante natal care at the Whitworth for my 3 babies. I had to have my first baby at Calow, transferring to Whitworth for after care and then had my younger 2 at the Whitworth. The care, encouragement and support at the Whitworth was second to none and made what could have been a frightening experience as easy as it could be. For both births the staff were there with me and I knew they were - I felt I wasn't in it on my own. The unique relaxed atmosphere and surroundings made a world of difference and was the best start I could possibly give my children |
| 9 | Sue Firth | |
| 10 | sharon brown | I went to Darley after giving birth to my first child at Calow and chose to have my 2nd child there - it was such a wonderful experience compared to Calow - more like a home birth. |
| 11 | Madeleine Claxton | |
| 12 | Catherine Anne Beamiss | I was lucky enough to have antenatal, delivery and post birth care from Darley in July 2005 and what an excellent service and so close to home. The advice and help given to me especially over breastfeeding was second to none - and I feel all new Mums should have service like this - not be left to their own devices after just a few hours of birth!!! |
| 13 | Maxine Siddall | I found my time at the maternity unit a godsend! The staff were so helpful afetr the birth of my first child and prepared me so i felt i cou,d cope when i took my baby home. It would be such a shame and a waste to mothers and babies if this service was to stop. |
| 14 | Helen Lynch | I think that the care provided by Darley before, during and after birth is invaluable. It helps to make the, at times, stressful and frightening experience of pregnancy and childbirth so much easier. Closing the unit seems to be such a backwards step! |
| 15 | Anonymous | I went to DMU after the birth of both my children. It's what kept me sane! An invaluable service which should not disappear |
| 16 | Laura Weatherill | I had my son at darley maternity unit and it was an amazing experience. The staff were fantastic and so helpful. I felt totally relaxed and at home. It would be a crying shame if mothers in the future were denied the help and atmosphere of the unit!!!!!! |
| 17 | Mark Weatherill | Our son was born at the unit and they were brilliant! I felt very welcome every time I went to see my wife and our baby and the staff helped me with all my wories and questions as a first time father! |
| 18 | Sarah Allsopp | |
| 19 | Richard Mumby | |
| 20 | Julia Rooney | I had both my children at Darley Maternity unit and it was a fabulous experience from start to finish. I think it is vital in terms of providing mothers-to-be with a real choice about the sort of birth they would like to have. |
| 21 | Kerry Davies | |
| 22 | Rachael and Simon Hughes | |
| 23 | Judith Mumby | Our daughter was in the maternity unit after both her daughters were born. The staff were superb, the atmosphere friendly. After the business of Calow hospital it was refreshing to find a place where the staff had time to help, support and encourage new parents. It gave both our grandaughters a good start in life. Thank you. |
| 24 | Kirsty Field | |
| 25 | John Hancock | It is a disgrace that they are considering closing Darley Maternity Unit long-term, but also that deliveries are not continuing during this 'consultation' process. The unit is an excellent example of community healthcare, surely one of the principles of government health policy. My fiancé and I, who are expecting in April, have always received exceptional levels of care from this facility, and want our baby to be born at DMU. The staff are always friendly, and offer their considerable experience in a personable way. Although we have transport - for many that do not in the locale, the unit also offers the only easily accessible option for expectant mums or are they in the future expected to navigate the vagaries of bus timetables to get to Chesterfield? I am afraid that I see this as cynical attempt by the Trust to quietly close a local facility in the outer reaches of their fiefdom, in order to plug shortcomings in their own mismanagement. |
| 26 | Jilly Cowen | As someone expecting their first child, I have been extremely impressed with the levels of care provided by Darley Maternity Unit. I am aghast that given the current situation with the Unit I am unable to chose where to give birth. This is an excellent rural service with extremely friendly, experienced and caring staff, and any closure or reduction in services offered represents a great loss to the community. |
| 27 | Caroline Mosley | Please do not close the Unit-all the midwives were so supportive,kind and helpful when I had Michael. The Maternity Unit is an asset to our area and I am proud to be associated with it.All my friends feel the same way. |
| 28 | Stella Wiggin | Strongly wish to see the unit remain open. Had two deliveries at the unit and can only offer praise for the staff and midwives. |
| 29 | Mrs Taylor | |
| 30 | Julie Kingsman-Wilson | i AM A MOTHER OF 3 AND A 3RD YEAR DIRECT ENTRY STUDENT MIDWIFE AT CITY UNI LONDON. A MEMBER OF THE BIRTHCENTRE NETWORK AND CURRENTLY WRITING MY DISSERTATION ON BIRTH CENTRES AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH ROLE THEY PLAY WITHIN A COMMUNITY. KEEP UP ALL YOUR GOOD WORK YOU ALL DO A FANTASTIC JOB! |
| 31 | chris ryde | The unit is an invaluable resource that the trust cannot afford to lose for the sake of one board menmbers wage. |
| 32 | Gary Lynch | |
| 33 | Mary Warwick | Having spent 12 yrs at Darley as a support worker before retiring in 2000, I know how valuable a service it provided and what huge support it always had from local and more distant mums. There has always been the threat of closure hanging like a black cloud but the dedication of the staff has been something for all to be proud of. The unit should be cherished as a jewel in the maternity services crown not used as a fall-guy for all the problems within. |
| 34 | sarah Roberts | keep fighting! |
| 35 | Anonymous | It is essential for all women and their babies that units like Darley Dale are kept open and funded appropriately. It is also vital for their success that information about them is passed on to pregnant women by community midwives, health visitors, doctors etc. In my work with pregnant women in the local area, many hadn't heard of Darley's existance. |
| 36 | simon warwick | |
| 37 | mark fairbrother | along with the many ethical reasons for keeping Darley open, there would be long term financial benefits of keeping it open, as problems are dealt with at source for new mums, rather than causing lengthy burdens on the NHS through regular visits to the surgery. In other words, for many issues, Darley is the prevention, not the cure. |
| 38 | Sue Wilcox | |
| 39 | Helen Milton | Units like Darley are rare enough and should not be cut lightly as part of a cost campaign |
| 40 | Jayne Shepherd | |
| 41 | Paulette Tomlinson | |
| 42 | Denis Walsh | Do not deny women their human right of choice in maternity care provision and don't pretend that home birth provision is a genuine substittute for birth centres. Reopen Darley Dale maternity uinit |
| 43 | Sophie Hunter | I had the most amazing support and experience of birth the first time through Darley and am really sad it isn't available for me second time round. Please don't make women go into hospital to give birth - why does birth need to be medicalised? |
| 44 | Virginia Cooper | This is a fantastic local facility. I had my first child here, and am now expecting my second. I will probably have a home birth if Darley is closed. |
| 45 | Alex Heslop | |
| 46 | Allison Ewing | |
| 47 | sarah parkin | My family and I feel passionately that this unit and the full midwifery service should be maintained. The services it provides have been underestimated: The value of having a midwife-led birthing place saves money on all the subsquent births of the same woman due to the higher chance that their birth had little 'medical' intervention and the post-natal care is one that only this type of institution can provide- giving both mother and babies the best start in family life. A main hospital can never provide a home from home service giving mothers who for various reasons (domestic reasons or perhaps journey time) are not able to choose a home birth. Do we really want an drop in breast feeding or c-sections in Derbyshire? Surely this will be the knock on effect of a reduced midwifery service. On a personal note, I would not have managed to breast-feed my first born without the option of a bed at Darley and thus probably for my second child and I am now due with a third. Anyone who knows me will be surprized at this struggle but even the most committed breast-feeder may need help. Find the money; once lost it is difficult to return as we know with trains and trams. |
| 48 | karen charlton | |
| 49 | Anonymous | |
| 50 | Lynn McLoughlin | |