Midwife, home birth services suspended

A health board has halted some maternity services because of the number of staff off sick.

Aneurin Bevan health board has stopped midwifery-led, and home-birthing services at four hospitals.

The Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan, Ebbw Vale and Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, Ystrad Mynach, are all affected.

The temporary measures have been put in place for 11 days.

Expectant mothers are being sent to Cwmbran’s Grange Hospital instead.

“We are currently experiencing a high number of births and short term staff absence due to sickness and self-isolation in our midwifery services,” the board said in a statement on Friday.

The board apologised to the eleven expectant mothers affected. The women were all booked in to give birth at one of the four units.

It said the plan would not impact on any others.

The measures came into force at 14:00 BST on Thursday 7 October and will continue until 08:00 BST on 18 October. BBC