Maternity unit closure 'extremely concerning'
Maternity unit closure 'extremely concerning'
Mon, August 10, 2026 at 8:45 AM UTC
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Health bosses said birthing services were being suspended at North Devon District Hospital despite "extensive efforts"
A special meeting is being held to scrutinise a Devon maternity unit's "extremely concerning" temporary closure.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust confirmed on Thursday that, despite "extensive efforts" to maintain services, suspending birthing services at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) in Barnstaple from Tuesday was the "only safe course of action".
The trust said at the end of July planning had started for a temporary suspension.
Devon County Council's Health and Adult Care Committee is due to meet on Monday 17 August to discuss how expected parents in north Devon face travelling to Exeter or Taunton to give birth.
Council leader Julian Brazil has criticised the move.
Brazil said: "Some remote parts of North Devon are a two-hour drive from Exeter - and that's when there is no traffic or road closures.
"For a council which has put improving the lives of children and families as its top priority, this closure is extremely concerning.
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"It is not a decision which would be countenanced in other parts of the country and we should not accept second-rate NHS provision here."
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The trust said more than 300 women who were 34 weeks pregnant or more, as well as those identified as vulnerable or clinically high risk, had been contacted.
It added that other services including scans and antenatal outpatient clinics would remain in North Devon.
Committee chair councillor Jess Bailey said staffing issues at the NDDH had "clearly been developing for some time, yet it was announced with little notice".
She said: "We will seek assurance from the hospital trust that a robust plan is in place to ensure it is reopened as soon possible.
"The unit will have been closed for six days by the time the committee meets, so some of the impacts on families, the safety of new mums and the effectiveness of the trust's mitigation plans should be understood by then."
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Births to be temporarily suspended at hospital
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Related internet links
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Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Devon County Council
Source: “AOL Breaking”
