Home birth service returns at city hospitals

The trust runs Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre (pictured)

A hospital trust has resumed its 24-hour home birth service for mums-to-be.

The service at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust was suspended in January while a review was carried out into how it was staffed and supported.

The review included discussions with service users and looked into "changing patterns" in the area, aiming to create a more sustainable model.

The service resumed with its new model on Wednesday.

Sharon Wallis, director of midwifery at NUH, said: "We have always been committed to a full home-birth service as we know it is the right thing to do for our mums-to-be, however, we also have a responsibility to ensure any service can be safely staffed and sustainable.

"I want to thank local birthing people and their families for their patience while we have put plans in place, and am really pleased that we have been able to now offer a 24-hour service for those individuals that meet the criteria for a home birth.

“Our home birth team lead joined the trust in January and we continue to recruit to a full team, and in the interim I am grateful to colleagues from our community and hospitals teams who have committed to additional shifts to enable us to offer the service now."