Home births suspended over safety concerns

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust is suspending home births over safety concerns

Home births have been suspended in a county following safety concerns raised by staff.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust said the suspension is due to last for two weeks, but trust leaders warned it could continue longer to allow them to "develop a new staffing model".

The trust apologised and said it has contacted women and families who had planned to give birth at home during this time, and midwives have talked through their options with them individually.

Independent midwife Kat Cotterall said the suspension, which is being introduced with immediate effect, is "horrendous" for women who are about to give birth.

"It's horrendous for women who are going into labour because labour takes a lot of mental strength," Ms Cotterall said.

"So when you're visualising your birth at home and you're told last minute that that can't happen - I think only a woman would understand... you actually grieve."

The trust said it has struggled to find cover for the on-call home birth service at night without using staff who had already worked a full day shift, which they said could be unsafe.

Chloe Taylor, a 35-year-old mum-to-be in the Forest of Dean, said the suspension is worrying.

She said she is fortunate that she is not due to give birth this year, but her "heart goes out" to mums-to-be who are due in the next few weeks.

"I've said from the beginning that I'm planning a home birth and - all being well - that would be my preferred choice [but] we don't know. We're just going to wait and see.

"That uncertainty when you're pregnant and emotional isn't very supportive," she said, adding that having the choice taken away could lead to trauma and stress.

The withdrawal of home birth services has also been happening in several other parts the country.

An investigation by the maternity rights charity Birthrights revealed 66% of NHS Trusts in the UK either suspended, strictly restricted, or frequently interrupted their home birth services in the 12 months between October 2023 and November 2024.

Maternity services in Gloucestershire have been under pressure for years.

A BBC Panorama programme last year highlighted poor practices, and the trust itself admitted in September the death of nine babies could have been avoided between 2017 and 2023.

Gloucestershire is also part of a current national investigation into maternity and neonatal care across England.

The trust has described the suspension of the service as a "two week pause".

It said: "During this pause, we are working on a risk assessment and options to find a balance between supporting choices for giving birth and managing the staffing levels to maintain safe care across the whole maternity service.

"Whilst this is a short pause, it is possible that it could lead to a longer suspension of the home birth service while we develop a new staffing model."

The trust said it has been able to recruit more midwives to the main hospital-based service, but has not yet been able to enlarge the home birth teams.

It said there are about four to six home births in Gloucestershire each month.

The midwife-led birthing unit at Cheltenham Hospital, which was temporarily closed in 2022, will be shut for the foreseeable future.

In addition six postnatal beds in Stroud have been shut since 2022 due to a midwife shortage.