Maternity Units

Maternity units forced to shut doors in baby boom

Almost half of maternity units closed to new admissions at least once in the past year because they were full or had too few staff

Almost half of maternity units closed to new admissions at least once in the past year because they were full or had too few staff. One unit refused new admissions for 48 hours; others closed for more than 10 hours at a time.Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent had 97 temporary closures in 2008, and Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust in Hertfordshire had 91. A total of 104 out of 148 NHS Trusts that provide maternity services responded to the request from the Conservatives. Fifty trusts had closed their maternity unit or had been forced to divert women to another site; 14 closed their unit more than 10 times.

In total, there were 553 closures in England, compared with 402 closures in 2007, a 38 per cent rise.The shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, called for the Government to increase midwife numbers and funding.

Jacque Gerrard, director for England for the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Maternity unit closures do happen because childbirth is unpredictable and units can experience a sudden and unexpected rush. We are in the midst of a baby boom with the birth rate at its highest since 1991."