Up to 20 Maternity Units in England May Need to Close, NHS Alliance Director Warns

LONDON — Up to 20 maternity units in England may need to close or merge with larger hospitals because of staff shortages and rising caesarean rates, Matthew Hopkins, the NHS Alliance’s director of acute care, has warned.

In comments reported on October 19, Hopkins said some smaller maternity units were struggling to maintain safe, round-the-clock services because of shortages of specialist obstetricians and other staff. Units handling around 1,500 to 2,000 births a year could be particularly affected.

He argued that concentrating maternity services in fewer, better-resourced hospitals could improve safety for mothers and babies. However, such changes could mean longer journeys for pregnant women, particularly those living in rural and coastal communities.

The issue is already affecting local services. North Devon District Hospital continues to keep its birthing services temporarily suspended because of staffing and safety concerns. In its latest update, published on October 14, the hospital said a readiness assessment on October 12 had not cleared the unit to reopen. Another assessment is scheduled for October 26. Since the suspension began, 197 women from northern Devon have given birth at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, with no confirmed safety incidents linked to the suspension, according to the hospital trust.

The warning about up to 20 units is not a confirmed government decision or an official closure list. The government’s National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is working on an action plan following an independent investigation into maternity and neonatal care, whose recommendations were published in June.

Any restructuring is likely to raise concerns about balancing safe staffing and clinical standards with access to maternity care close to home.