Health bosses urged to 'hurry up' with midwifery consultation

Councillor Madge Shineton said she was “deeply concerned” by the current temporary closures of midwife-led units (MLUs) in Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow because of staff shortages.

Her comments came as members of Shropshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) were told the 12-week consultation – which follows a review of maternity services – may not launch until the end of the year.

Councillor Shineton, who sits on both Shropshire Council health scrutiny committees, said: “I am deeply concerned by the ad-hoc closures of our maternity units. I find it makes it enormously confusing for families.

“I understand it has to go to consultation but one month Bridgnorth is open and the next it is closed.”

CCG chairman Dr Julian Povey said he shared her concerns.

Temporary closures have impacted the MLUs since the start of the year and currently all three units cannot deal with births and inpatient services until June 17.

Antenatal and postnatal services, though, continue to be available between 8am and 8pm each day.

A CCG meeting this week was told work was continuing with NHS England towards launching the consultation, but it wanted to ensure it did not clash with the current Future Fit deliberations.

Dawn Clarke, director of nursing, quality and patient safety, said it was hard to provide a “definitive timeline” at present.

She said: “There is an impact on our MLUs to sustain services, but we are in talks with NHS England and NHS Improvement who are meeting with the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust (SaTH) to confirm the next stages.

“Safety of our patients is of paramount importance and we have to support the trust if they feel closures have to be made.”

While the MLUs are closed, women have the option of giving birth at either the Shrewsbury or Wrekin MLUs, the consultant-led unit at the Princess Royal Hopsital in Telford, or at home.