Campaigners seeking answers about the ongoing suspension of home births in Gloucestershire were blocked from asking questions at a health oversight committee meeting on January 27.
Home births in Gloucestershire have been suspended since November due to safety concerns raised by medical staff. This move has heightened worries about the county’s maternity services, especially with the Cheltenham maternity unit still closed.
The Aveta Birth Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital was temporarily closed in 2022 because of staff shortages and safety issues. Despite Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recruiting the equivalent of 25 full-time midwives, a review will be conducted before any decision is made about reopening the Cheltenham service.
READ MORE: I Love Agatha Christie: 5 Adaptations That Outshine Netflix’s Seven Dials Mystery
READ MORE: Air Pollution Concerns Lead to Rejection of Stone Crushing Firm’s Permanent Plans
A group of women and healthcare professionals have challenged the trust’s decision to suspend home births. Approximately six of them attended the Gloucestershire County Council’s health overview and scrutiny committee but were not permitted to ask questions.
During the meeting, Chief Nurse Matt Holdaway emphasized that the suspension was not a hasty decision. He referenced a recent prevention of future deaths report linked to a tragic case in Manchester involving a woman and her baby. Holdaway stressed the importance of taking national debates into account to provide the safest possible care and support for home birth services.
Green Party Councillor Richard Dean labelled home births a human right, while Councillor Julia Gooch (Progressive Independent, Newent and Taynton) sought assurance that the suspension was in the best interest of mothers. Holdaway affirmed that safety was the priority, acknowledging that many women were disappointed but emphasizing his responsibility to ensure the highest care standards.
Councillor Gooch also highlighted the lack of maternity services in the Forest of Dean, pointing out the significance of home birth opportunities for mothers in her area.
Hospital representatives confirmed that a review of birthing units, including the ongoing closure in Cheltenham, would take place with updates to follow.
Towards the meeting’s end, Reform UK Councillor Stuart Graham requested that members of the public be allowed to ask questions. However, Liberal Democrat Councillor Iain Dobbie, who chaired the session, said that after seeking advice, public questions were not permitted to maintain committee best practices and avoid setting a precedent.
As the campaigners left, one remarked on the lack of a clear timeline for lifting the suspensions. “Temporary suspensions need to have an end date or they are not temporary,” she said, citing the prolonged closure of the Aveta Birth Centre as an example.