Due to concerns for the safety of the midwives, some hospitals have stopped using Entonox (also known as “gas and air” or “laughing gas”), a popular kind of pain treatment for women in labour.
Many NHS trusts have decided to temporarily ban the use of Entonox which contains nitrous oxide, out of concern for potential long-term exposure and danger to medical personnel, especially midwives.
According to research by the BBC, between August 2018 and December 2022, the Health and Safety Executive reported 11 cases of nitrous oxide in NHS trusts. Some were found to be 50 times above the acceptable exposure level of 100 ppm in a number of NHS units.
Because of the quantities of nitrous oxide detected, some hospitals have stopped using gas and air in the maternity units.
The use of it was discontinued by Basildon University Hospital after tests revealed levels that were higher than the permissible exposure limit at work. The BBC says that Ipswich Hospital stopped using gas and air for a short time last year but has started using it again now that new ventilation systems are in place.
According to The Times, Princess Alexandra is another hospital that has decided to restrict the use of Entonox gas in its maternity unit. This decision is upsetting both patients and expectant mums. The hospital uses certain portable devices to break up the gas, but there aren’t enough of these for every birthing room, which makes expectant women afraid of the increased discomfort if they have to give birth without gas and air.
Amy Fantis, who is pregnant and will give birth at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, was very upset about this choice. “It’s not available to everyone and I might not get it. My birth might only be 40 minutes. It is a stress that you don’t need,’ she told The Sunday Times. ‘I understand they have to keep midwives safe but to just take it away seems madness. It is the poor mums who are paying the price.”
According to a spokesperson, the NHS is now working with the trusts that have been affected by gas and air supplies.
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