North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple halted maternity services effective Tuesday due to inadequate medical staffing, requiring expectant mothers in the rural region to travel to hospitals in Exeter or Taunton, distances of at least an hour and a half away.
The hospital trust reported that its projected consultant maternity rotas were at times 50% short, while tier 2 registrar doctors were 40% short. The staffing shortages resulted from departures, maternity leave, sickness absences, and difficulty securing locum physicians on short notice. The trust stated it would restart birthing services when safe staffing could be guaranteed but did not provide a timeline for resumption.
Several pregnant women described the situation as creating dangerous circumstances. Some noted they were considering temporary relocation near Exeter to avoid potential complications during transit, while others expressed concern about missing critical obstetric care. One woman with a history of shoulder dystocia, a serious delivery emergency, described her fear of going into labor before reaching an alternative facility.
Other maternity services including community midwifery, ultrasound scans, and antenatal clinics continue operating. A local petition opposing the closure garnered nearly 15,000 signatures. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists noted that maternity services across the country face significant staffing pressures and called for urgent investment in the maternity workforce to ensure safe staffing levels.
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