Reporter turned away at door of maternity services meeting

Robin Murray arrived at the ‘friendly, informal discussion group’ at Melksham Assembly Hall on Tuesday afternoon to be told at the door by the trust’s communication manager, Caroline Kenny, that he was not allowed in as it would have been ‘inappropriate’ for him to be there.

The trust, which manages Trowbridge Birthing Centre at Trowbridge Hospital, said the discussion group was for women and families who have used the RUH’s maternity services, as well as individuals or groups who have a special interest in pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

MP Dr Andrew Murrison described the decision as disgraceful. “I think it’s unfortunate that a respected local newspaper should be excluded from a meeting of this sort,” he said. “It gives the impression that they are trying to cover something up. There needs to be more transparency.”

When Mr Murray asked the trust’s head of marketing and communications, Emma Mooney, why he wasn’t allowed in, she replied: “You were more than welcome to attend the discussion group today if you had been willing to participate and share your experiences of using our maternity services.

“Those who attend these sessions are sharing intimate details about their birth experiences. We are listening to those who use our services to learn from their experiences.

“We want to understand what’s important to women when they are choosing where to have their baby, what we do well and what we could do better.

“This is the beginning of planning the future together to make sure we are getting it right for women and families, both now and in the longer term.”

Mr Murray spoke to three women outside the building after the two-hour discussion group. They all said they could not understand why he was not let in.

In the meeting they shared their experiences of giving birth as well as discussing the positive and negative aspects of the unit.