Dozens of maternity units should be closed down, says doctors' chief

Up to one in five hospital maternity units where consultants supervise births needs to close in order to ensure mothers in labour receive better care, the leader of Britain’s obstetricians and gynaecologists has warned.

Between 10% and 20% of obstetric units across England should go because serious shortages of maternity doctors means dangerously “stretched” staff spend too little time with mothers-to-be, whose care may then suffer, Dr David Richmond told the Guardian in an interview.

Acknowledging that his controversial proposal would create “a public and political furore”, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said there should be a big expansion in the number of midwife-led units so women could still choose where to give birth

If adopted Richmond’s advice would see the number of consultant-led maternity units shrink from 147 to potentially as few as 119, creating what some critics call overly large “baby factories”.

Agree or disagree?

I can kind of understand it, as long as those other units were properly staffed and in similar areas.

Instead what they will probably do is open a centre, say it is to be staffed with 40 nurses/midwives and then only hire 5 whilst constantly having the adverts online so they can say they are recruiting.

God I'm getting cynical in my late twenties

I hope the PRH Maternity unit not under threat we are raising money for them this year for new birthing pool and chairs for the Dads to sleep in. Haywards Heath Bike ride in April

The Birdman said:

I hope the PRH Maternity unit not under threat we are raising money for them this year for new birthing pool and chairs for the Dads to sleep in. Haywards Heath Bike ride in April

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I hope so too as we picked PRH over RSCH for both my sons but don't hold you're breath as about a year after my second son was born they considered closing it. I'd imagine it would be high on the list again.

As long as they expand the number of midwife led units this would make sense. My daughter was born at Crowborough which is one of these, and they were brilliant.