ESNEFT confirm gas and air is back on maternity unity at Ipswich Hospital

Ipswich Hospital has thanked parents for their patience after gas and air was reintroduced in all delivery suites.

The use of nitrous oxide (also known as Entonox or gas and air), was temporarily suspended at the hospital in Heath Road on December, 6.

Dr Giles Thorpe, Chief Nurse of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Ipswich Hospital, said: "We are very pleased that we are now able to safely offer nitrous oxide again to women and pregnant people having suspended its use while we put in new ventilation units in all of our delivery suites and rooms at Ipswich Hospital."

"We tested the levels of nitrous oxide in our maternity services following concerns about high levels of nitrous oxide in another maternity department," added Dr Thorpe.

"Nitrous oxide is piped at our Colchester maternity unit. It is not piped at Ipswich maternity unit. We asked a specialist testing company to check all of our birthing rooms at Ipswich.

"The results showed that there were some elements of concern at Ipswich maternity unit as some samples were above where we would want them to be and above the ‘safe’ levels advised in national guidance.

" There is no concern that using nitrous oxide is harmful to pregnant people, the issue is the residue left in the air after it has been used.

"We needed to improve ventilation in all birthing rooms and the delivery suite at Ipswich and have now done this."