Oswestry maternity unit closing for night due to staff sickness
The maternity unit in Oswestry will be temporarily closed overnight on Sunday.
Health bosses say services at Oswestry midwife-led unit (MLU) will be temporarily suspended from 8pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust says it is due to "short-term staff sickness".
The unit only reopened for births on Monday, following a closure due to staffing issues.
Women booked to give birth at Oswestry MLU, who go into labour during the temporary suspension of services, will be offered a birth at another MLU.
Sarah Jamieson, head of midwifery at SaTH, said: “Unfortunately, due to short-term sickness, it will be necessary to suspend services at Oswestry MLU from 8pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday.
"I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
“We are contacting women who have chosen to deliver at Oswestry and who are due to give birth in the near future to inform them and offer an alternative location to give birth if they go into labour whilst services are suspended at Oswestry MLU.”
It comes as health chiefs are expected to approve a public consultation on plans to end women giving birth at three rural maternity units in Oswestry, Ludlow and Bridgnorth.
Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to back plans for an overhaul of the county's maternity units.
The proposal would mean women can no longer give birth at Bridgnorth, Oswestry or Ludlow maternity units.
Instead women will be able to give birth at the consultant-led unit at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, at the hospital's neighbouring midwife led unit at PRH, at a free-standing midwife-led unit at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or at home.
