Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the importance of hearing and understanding the concerns of mothers in Cheltenham, even as the Aveta Birth Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital remains closed. The birth centre, which has not admitted labouring women since 2022, originally closed due to staff shortages and safety concerns. Despite recent improvements in midwife staffing, the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the unit will remain closed until ongoing safety and service reviews are completed, with decisions expected no earlier than spring.
Speaking in Parliament, Starmer stated that the government’s priority is to ensure “every mother is heard and understood” and receives the necessary quality of care. He highlighted that the future of Cheltenham’s maternity services hinges on the outcomes of a national maternity investigation and a local health needs assessment, both expected to report in the coming months. Starmer assured that their recommendations will be carefully considered and that local representatives will be kept informed.
Cheltenham’s Liberal Democrat MP, Max Wilkinson, raised strong concerns about the extended closure, underscoring the critical role of maternity services in women’s healthcare. He described the ongoing delay as untenable, saying, “four years is far too long to ask local mums-to-be to wait,” and sought assurances that the closure would remain temporary rather than permanent.
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The Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust reaffirmed its commitment to safety and high-quality care, noting that while midwife numbers have increased significantly—equivalent to 25 full-time midwives—the trust still requires additional obstetricians to fully staff the unit. They also mentioned a decline in overall birth numbers in Gloucestershire but an increase in case complexity, with more women needing medical interventions such as caesarean sections.
The trust emphasized that no decision to reopen the Aveta Birth Centre will be made until the health needs assessment and the national maternity and neonatal review are complete, prioritizing the well-being of mothers, babies, and families above all else.