Births to be temporarily suspended at hospital

Ongoing staffing issues have forced a hospital's bosses to temporarily suspend birthing services at the site.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust confirmed despite "extensive efforts" to maintain services, suspending births at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) in Barnstaple from 11 August was the "only safe course of action".

At the end of July, the trust said planning had started for a potential temporary suspension to the services.

Carolyn Mills, Royal Devon's chief nursing officer, said the trust was "fully committed" to reopening birthing services at NDDH as soon as possible.

The trust said more than 300 women and birthing people who are 34 weeks pregnant or more, as well as those identified as vulnerable or clinically high risk, had been contacted to discuss their individual circumstances, care plans and the travel and transport support available.

It said the last planned inductions and caesarean sections would take place on Friday while the last day NDDH would be able to accept those in spontaneous labour would be on Sunday.

Other services including community midwifery, scans, birth planning, ultrasound clinics and antenatal outpatient clinics would remain in North Devon, the trust added.

The trust said it had explored and exhausted every option including securing additional locum cover and mutual aid support from partner organisations.

However, it said after carefully reviewing staffing levels against clinical safety requirements, it concluded a temporary suspension was needed.

Mills said the suspension was an exceptionally difficult decision to make.

"Our absolute priority is, and always will be, the safety of women, birthing people and their babies," Mills said.

"We have worked tirelessly alongside our partners, including NHS Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board and NHS England regional colleagues, to explore every possible option to avoid this outcome."

She added a dedicated recovery programme was under way with intensive work focused on recruitment, workforce planning, staff retention and service resilience.

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