Birthing unit closures could be made permanent

The temporary closure of two birthing units in Staffordshire could be made permanent

The temporary closure of two birthing units in Staffordshire could be made permanent under a proposal by the integrated care board (ICB).

NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB closed the freestanding midwife-led birthing units (FMBUs) at County Hospital in Stafford and Lichfield's Samuel Johnson Community Hospital during the Covid pandemic.

The decision was made to ensure there was enough staff for the maternity departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital and Queen's Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent, the ICB said.

On Monday, the organisation launched a public consultation to gather people's views on whether the closures should be made permanent.

The ICB said there was a shortage of midwives and the plans would ensure there were enough workers at the busiest hospitals.

Fewer than three in 100 babies in the area were born in the two units in the year before they closed, the organisation added.

'Keep skills sharp'

Heather Johnstone, chief nursing and therapies officer, said: "Not reopening the birthing services at these units would mean our midwives are where they're needed most, making sure we continue to have safe and sustainable staffing in our busiest maternity hospitals in Stoke-on-Trent and Burton.

"As well as making the best use of our midwives' time, this will help keep their skills sharp, as they will have a more varied caseload and assist with many more births."

The public consultation will run until 3 August and people have been urged to share their views on the ICB's website.