Up to 20 maternity units in England may need to close to ensure safe care for mothers and babies, according to Matthew Hopkins, the NHS Alliance's director for acute care. He warned that centralising childbirth services into fewer hospitals is "inevitable" due to shortages of doctors and a rise in caesarean section rates.
Mr Hopkins stated that ministers must address the need for as many as 20 of England's 155 consultant-led NHS units to shut or alter their function. He highlighted that smaller units, delivering 1,500 to 2,000 babies annually, are becoming unsustainable, particularly in rural or coastal areas where staffing is challenging.
The Royal College of Midwives' chief policy officer, Hannah Leonard, said women and families rely on local maternity units and that high-quality services should be close to home. Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, suggested exploring other solutions to workforce challenges that are safer than closing units.
The government's maternity taskforce is expected to publish a report on improving childbirth care before Christmas. Concerns have been raised that this report might not address the strategic issues underlying problems, such as the rise in caesarean sections, if it does not clearly outline how the NHS should accommodate this demand.