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Maternity Services Pause: Hartlepool Births Still Unscheduled
2 Nov
Summary
- Intrapartum care paused for 18 months at University Hospital of Hartlepool.
- Multiple considerations delay the reopening of maternity services.
- Nearest alternative birth options are over 13 and 28 miles away.
Maternity services at the Rowan Suite of the University Hospital of Hartlepool remain suspended, with no confirmed date for their resumption. This pause on intrapartum care, the period from the start of labour to delivery, has now lasted 18 months.
The initial suspension, which began in May 2025, was intended to last only three months. However, due to significant operational, governance, and workforce considerations, the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has extended the pause twice.
Trust officials previously indicated a June resumption in February, but this did not materialize. The trust is working to address multiple issues before reopening. Alternative options for births include the University Hospital of North Tees, 13 miles away, and Darlington Memorial Hospital, 28 miles away.
