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Maternity services update: Oct 2023

17 May 2023, 2 p.m.

Health bosses have reiterated their long-term commitment to maternity services at Cheltenham and Stroud following the extension of temporary changes helping to safeguard patient safety during labour and birth.

Matt Holdaway, Chief Nurse at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, repeated the Trust’s long-term commitment to the birthing unit at Cheltenham General Hospital (CGH) and the provision of postnatal beds at Stroud Maternity Unit (SMU).

The temporary closure of the Aveta Birth Unit at Cheltenham to labour and births as well as six postnatal beds at Stroud Maternity Unit will be extended until Spring 2024 when a further review will be undertaken.

The measures are necessary to ensure one-to-one midwifery care is given to women in labour and are in response to a national shortage of midwives.

“We want to reiterate our commitment to the future of both the birthing unit at CGH and postnatal beds at SMU. There are no long-term plans to close services at Cheltenham or Stroud” he said.

“While the measures that we have taken are far from ideal, they have enabled us to deliver a safe service. The safety of all babies, women and birthing people remains the guiding principle behind these difficult decisions.”

Matt added: “It’s really important to reiterate what these temporary changes actually mean because a lot of people believe that maternity services in Cheltenham and Stroud are completely closed when that’s not the case.”

“We want to reiterate our commitment to the future of both the birthing unit at CGH and postnatal beds at SMU. There are no long-term plans to close services at Cheltenham or Stroud”

Matt Holdaway, Chief Nurse

Under the temporary changes the Aveta Birthing Unit at CGH is closed to labour and births but open to all other services including planned antenatal care. At Stroud six postnatal care beds are temporary closed while the unit remains open for labour, new births and postnatal provision for six to 12 hours after birth. A full range of service provision is provided below.

“We strive to retain as much choice as possible for women and families within the difficult circumstances we are currently operating in and apologise to everyone who continues to be affected by the decisions we have had to make,” said Matt.

Recruitment and retention

Despite making good progress in attracting and recruiting new midwives, retention remains incredibly challenging due to a combination of factors including staff leaving/being promoted, sickness and maternity leave.

Looking ahead to the longer term solution, Matt said: “We acknowledge that the longer our staffing challenges continue, the more it appears that getting the right staffing model for the birth centres and community rather than just waiting to be fully recruited is likely to be the key to opening services as quickly as possible.

This has been the focus of the senior midwifery team throughout this period. The team has made good progress in engaging colleagues in developing new models of care. However, we are not yet in a position to reinstate either of the suspended services.”

For more information

For more information, please call Communications 0300 422 3563 or email: ghn-tr.comms@nhs.net

Notes to editors

Service provision

Cheltenham Aveta Birth Unit

The Cheltenham Aveta birth unit will remain closed for labour and birth (next review date: Spring 2024).

  • All other services at the unit, including planned antenatal care, continue to be provided.

Stroud Maternity

Stroud Maternity is open but the Postnatal beds (x6) will remain closed (next review date: Spring 2024).

  • Postnatal care for families in Stroud continues to be available in the first 6-12 hours post birth in Stroud birthing rooms after which families are discharged home. If a mother or baby born at Stroud needs postnatal care that requires on-going in hospital monitoring, this will be accommodated on our Maternity Ward at GRH
  • The community midwifery service in Stroud remains unchanged. Women are offered home visits or the opportunity to attend a postnatal clinic run by midwives in the postnatal period
  • Breastfeeding parent support is available at the Unit.

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Maternity Services

All our services at the Gloucester Birth Unit and the Central Delivery Suite, both in the Women’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH), are unaffected by these temporary changes.

Home births

We continue to offer planned home births but there may be rare occasions when it is not safe to do so due to staffing challenges and this is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.