inquiry into Wendy
Savage's 'fitness' to be an
obstetrician is minatory. The
result will have ramifications for
women's rights in childbirth
extending far beyond the
borders of Tower Hamlets.
ERICA FLEGG investigates. THE FINDINGS of the enquiry into the competence of the consultant obstetrician, Wendy. Savage, who was suspended by Tower Hamlets Health Authority, are to be presented on 10 July. The campaign to defend Savage has organised a demonstration in her support, and is also calling for protests at her suspension to be made to the Health Authority.
While the Savage case appears to be concerned with questions of protessional competence, what is at issue is the approach to the management of childbirth today. This affects the rights of women, especially women from the working class and ethnic minorities, the standards of medical practice within the National I lealth Service, the cuts, and the accountability of doctors to society rather than to their peers.
In the view of many of her supporters, Wendy Savage has been victimised because she supports the right of mothers to partici-
'In Britain women's rights
in childbirth are being.
eroded' pate in decisions about the management of birth, because she defends the interests of the deprived residents of an innercity area the Asian and working class patients at the Mile End branch of Whitechapel Hospital - and because she is a female misfit in an elitist, conservative and male-dominated medical establishment.
Savage, it seems, is also too bright and too bolshy for the comfort of her more benighted and insecure male colleagues, and they are determined to make an example of her. If they daren't actually call her a witch, they nevertheless want her professional reputation burt at the stake and her idcas discredited. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists elected Savage to membership last year, a recognition normally extended to obstetricians of her seniority, 12 but the professional bodies seem to be
Cuts in the NHS while £150,000 is spent on the Savage Enquiry willing to allow her to be singled out without protest.
In Britain, women's rights in childbirth to home births, to'natural' births in hospital without undue technological or surgical intervention, to participate in the management of their labour and delivery
Ware being increasingly eroded. This is defended in the name of increased safety for mother and child, but evidence shows that greater medical intervention does not, on the whole, ensure safer births: in Holland, for instance, where the rate of home births is much higher than in Britain, the rate of perinatal mortality is lower. The rate of Caesarian section is also increasing alarmingly, although this practise is known to be detrimental to the health and well being of the mother. There is a tendener for Cacsarians to be much more common in some parts of the country than in others, and also to be more commonly recommended on
a Friday, for instance, than on a Sand.
facts which Wendy Savage's detractors ha
yet to explain in terms of good medic
practice.
Tower Hamlets Health Authorin, 11
time when health services are sorch presse by the cuts, set aside $150,000 to liner d inquiry and morcover suspended Sarag from duty before the inquis reporte
leaving the Mile End branch of the hospit
without a named consultant obstoni
The Authority is so short of tunds that it als plans to close half of the 22 maternito beds
Mile lind and more the rest to Whitechape
Apparently the use of large sums of publ money to remore a doctor like Senage is ser as the best way to protect the interests e expectant mothers of Mile Ind
Savage has 26 years' experience is obstetrician, and is a senior lectures who ha
"Tower Hamlets Health
Authority set aside
€150,000 to finance the
inquiry taught at the hospital withou criticion lo seven years. She enjors the confidene local women, so much so that one of ch mothers whose case was used, without he permission, against Savage, come om publi cally in her support. A hights committe doctor, Savage is also a member of th Socialist Health Association md of th Labour Party. Like most consultans, Savag does not belong to a trade union, but this does not prevent the unions in the health service, and all those concomed to detend the interests of women and public arountabil ity in social services, from organising agains her victimisation and to proded our own interests. The Savage case man indeed encourage a few alarmed consultants to join the ranks of the trade union movement.
Further information on the compargy can he obrained from Oxford House in Tone Hamlets, where mortings of the detence commuttee are hold. The demonstracion is called for 10 July at 2pm to march dion Mile End tothe London Hospital a Whitechapel For the Labour Party. Peter Shore h.as spoken out in lavour of Savage's reinstale ment in the interests of his constituents in Bethnal Cireen and Stepney, but the party and the wider labour movement need to tako a stronger stand before thoss with les courage and commitment than Savage will be prepared to pur their repurations. and perhaps their jobs, on the line by speaking out against present trends.
M E :.N
----- pull-quotes on this page ----- S U The