NHS bosses say smaller maternity units may have to close
The NHS Alliance says up to 20 of 155 consultant-led units could close as staffing gaps and outdated facilities threaten safer care.
- Matthew Hopkins, director of the NHS Alliance's acute and ambulance network, warned that consolidating maternity units is 'inevitable' due to staffing shortages, with up to 20 units potentially closing because the current system is 'not fit for purpose.'
- Smaller units delivering around 1,500 babies annually struggle to maintain 24-hour care amid widespread obstetrician shortages and soaring C-section rates, while decaying infrastructure in outdated buildings poses significant safety risks.
- Dr. Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, urged officials to explore 'other solutions' such as expanding the workforce, while midwives insisted care must remain accessible near families' homes.
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper chairs the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to deliver reforms, with the government investing £271 million since April 2025 to tackle safety risks and create a new statutory commissioner.
- The Ockenden inquiry previously exposed more than 500 cases of avoidable harm, while Baroness Valerie Amos found racism and discrimination were 'embedded throughout the system,' establishing the historical context driving current reform demands.
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Nearly two dozen maternity units could be forced to close
An NHS leader has warned that the current state of maternity services across the nation was "not fit for purpose" as he warns some birthing units could be forced to shut due to a lack of resources and key staff
NHS Leader: Maternity Units Delivering Fewer Than 2,000 Babies May Have To Close
Matthew Hopkins, the director of the NHS Alliance’s acute and ambulance network, argued the way maternity care is delivered had “moved on” and that “difficult decisions lie ahead”. The current configuration of maternity care across England is “not fit for purpose,” according to NHS Alliance, an independent body that speaks for organisations across the health […]
Up to 20 maternity units in England may have to shut, NHS leader warns
Exclusive: NHS Alliance’s acute care director says centralisation of services ‘inevitable’ to ensure safe care * Why are some NHS maternity units facing closure? Up to 20 maternity units in England will have to shut to ensure mothers and babies receive safe care amid shortages of doctors and rising caesarean section rates, an NHS leader…
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