NHS trust says it is working to reopen birth centre

The centre has been closed for births since 1 June but some services remain open

An NHS trust is "working on a plan" to reopen a maternity centre that had to close down because of a midwife shortage.

Barking Birth Centre, in east London, closed for births from June due to safety concerns.

It remains open for all antenatal and postnatal appointments.

North East London Integrated Care Unit said there was still a risk in opening the centre without having fully trained staff who would be able to deal with emergencies.

Instead, it said women should go to the Birth Centre at Newham Hospital or the Midwifery Unit at Queen's Hospital in Romford.

Home birth support has not been affected.

'New wave of midwives'

Diane Jones, chief nurse at the unit, told Barking and Dagenham Council's health scrutiny committee that the plan was "around recruitment".

"We do have a shortage of midwives, and midwives that are skilled to provide care in a standalone birthing unit," she said.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which has overall responsibility for the birthing centre, said it was planning to tackle the workforce crisis by employing staff from other countries, as well as bringing in a "new wave of midwives who were recently students and are heading into their first job".

The spokesperson did not comment on when the centre was likely to reopen for births.

But Labour councillor Maureen Worby, the cabinet member for adult social care and health integration at the council, said she was left "really disappointed" by the closure.

She added: "If you're not recruiting quite rapidly, then we would want a far more detailed action plan about that.

"I know people think women that side of the borough should look to Newham Hospital and that's where they should go, but we want to see it more actively promoted and reopened because it's the only [birthing] facility in the borough."