NHS managers warn up to 20 maternity units in England may close
Up to 20 of England's 155 consultant-led maternity units may have to close, a group for NHS managers warned, The Guardian and the BBC reported. It said smaller units lack staff and face a rise in C-sections. The royal college for obstetricians said other options should be tried first.
Up to 20 of England's 155 consultant-led maternity units may have to close, the NHS Alliance warned, The Guardian and the BBC reported. The NHS Alliance represents health service managers.
Smaller units that deliver 1,500 to 2,000 babies a year face particular strain from a lack of specialist staff and a rise in caesarean sections, The Guardian and the BBC reported. Units in rural and coastal areas are under the most pressure, The Guardian and the BBC reported.
"Difficult decisions lie ahead, consolidating maternity services to support safer, more sustainable care," said Matthew Hopkins of the NHS Alliance, The Guardian and the BBC reported. In an interview with The Guardian, Hopkins said moving births into fewer hospitals was "inevitable" and said as many as 20 units would need to shut or change their role.
The NHS Alliance said the government's maternity taskforce must "grasp the nettle" on these problems, The Guardian and the BBC reported. The taskforce is due to report before Christmas, The Guardian reported.
Medical groups pushed back. Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, called for "other solutions" to be explored instead of closing units, The Guardian and the BBC reported. "Women and families rely on local maternity units to be there when they need them, and we must ensure there are high-quality services close to home," the Royal College of Midwives' chief policy officer said, The Guardian reported.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the taskforce "will deliver the reforms needed to ensure services meet the needs of women and families now and in the future," the BBC reported.
The maternity unit at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple has been suspended since August because of staffing, and its trust is due to assess this month whether it can reopen, The Guardian and the BBC reported.
What we know: The NHS Alliance says up to 20 of England's 155 consultant-led maternity units may have to close or change role.
What we don't: Which units could be affected, and whether the government's taskforce will back any closures.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and the BBC report that the NHS Alliance warned up to 20 of England's 155 consultant-led maternity units may have to close.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.