Hospital leaders in Gloucestershire have announced a six-month suspension of home births, citing three primary reasons for the decision amid ongoing challenges in maternity services.
Initially, home births were temporarily halted for two weeks due to safety concerns raised by staff at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This pause has now been extended, coinciding with the continued temporary closure of the Aveta birth centre at Cheltenham General Hospital and the postnatal beds in Stroud.
Matt Holdaway, Chief Nurse and Director of Quality at the Trust, emphasized that safety is paramount. “We currently have 245 full-time equivalent midwives, the highest number we’ve ever had in Gloucestershire,” he said. However, many are junior midwives who require more experience to safely support home births. Developing a skilled workforce with seasoned midwives is crucial to resuming these services.
Another factor influencing the suspension is a notable national trend: an increasing number of women are choosing home births outside of established medical guidance. “Some women opt to give birth at home despite risk assessments recommending care in midwifery-led or obstetric-led units,” Holdaway explained.
The Trust aims to use the six-month period to thoroughly review and improve its maternity model, ensuring the processes and systems meet the needs and safety standards for mothers in Gloucestershire. This reassessment includes considering the impact of the current facility closures on service provision.
Councillor Rebecca Trimnell, speaking at Gloucestershire County Council’s Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee, supported the focus on safety and workforce readiness, asking how long it would take to develop a new staffing model that supports home births.
The Trust’s comprehensive review will evaluate the wants and needs of local mothers and work towards restoring and enhancing home birth options within a safer, better-supported framework.