'ONLY MRS Savage is on trial here, Christopher Beaumont, chair of the Savage enquiry, has declared. But only a week into the four-week enquiry it appears that much more is at stake.
The enquiry is looking into the handling of five Charges maternity Case. against Savage of mismanagement' and 'bizarre and incompetent practices well outside the accepted range behaviour' Amongst the issues already raised have been whose patients files (three of the cases being used are of No Savage upd r Wese Savage oppose their cases being used against her) and the rights of patients to be consulted their own treatment. wendy's opponents clai that women in the throes of a difficult labour are not in ally decisions. position She believes that women are intelligent enough to discuss the options.
More importantly, the Can y damental raises issues fun- of obstetrics and the health of American put the baby than the mother. leads evitably caesardangerous vaginal head of denartment. Professor mitments' far Unlike have Plivals extend these. They want to set up a private fertility clinic.
Their commitment to high-tech obstetrics private medicine are connected in many ways. For example, foetal monitering machines are expensive Wendy's 'heavy commitments ' were mainly her patients. Unlike any of her other colleagues the London Hospital, she saw all her patients personally attended the difficult cases. She also ran the oWen Hamiets day. care abortion service, started bv Protessor Hun tingford, as part of her committment to women's choice in fertility.
womer have been campaigning for some years to regain control over Iner noses ano lo nave child birth seen as Nalulal healthy women not an ill- IUnICLIOn ness. Under the best conditins some babies will be stillborn, others will die or be damaged at birth.
The has already shown that Wendy Savage's record is second
Socialist Action 14 February 1986