Why are home births suspended at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS?

Home births are suspended due to safety concerns arising from insufficient staffing levels, particularly during late working hours.

When will Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS resume home births?

The trust has extended the suspension into 2026, indicating services will not resume before then.

What is Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS doing about the suspension?

The trust is retraining staff and designing a new care delivery model to ensure safe home birth services can resume.

Home / Health / Home births suspended for months over safety fears

Home births suspended for months over safety fears

19 Nov

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Summary

Hospital trust suspends home births for over six months.
Staffing concerns are the primary reason for the suspension.
New care models and retraining planned for service restoration.

Home births suspended for months over safety fears

A significant suspension of home birth services by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will now extend well into 2026. Initially a two-week pause initiated on November 6, the trust has now formalized an extension of over six months, citing critical safety concerns.

The primary driver behind this prolonged suspension is the worryingly low staffing levels, which have particularly impacted the ability to provide adequate support during late working hours. This has prompted a thorough review and risk assessment by the trust's leadership.

Heather Gallagher, interim director of midwifery, stated that the extended downtime is essential. It will be utilized for comprehensive staff retraining and the development of an entirely new model for care delivery, aiming to ensure the safe recommencement of home birth services in the future.