Councillors welcome re-opening of Oswestry maternity unit

Mothers-to-be from Oswestry and the surrounding area have had to travel to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or across the Welsh border to Wrexham since their local unit closed in July.

The decision by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust to re-open the unit houses at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at Gobowen from January 1, won approval from Selattyn & Gobowen Parish Council at its recent meeting.

Councillors hope the decision will become permanent after the review of maternity services currently underway.

The council said: "Whilst Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group continues its review of maternity services, Selattyn & Gobowen Parish Council wishes to re-affirm its support for maintaining full-time, rural, maternity services in Shropshire.

"It is hoped that Shropshire CCG pays particular attention to the 'Better Births' national maternity review, which is strongly supportive of local, accessible, community based midwife-led units.”

Health officials decided to temporally close the units in Oswestry, Ludlow and Bridgnorth for births for up to six months in July after a series of short-term closures because of staff shortages at the consultant-led unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

Pre and post natal appointments during the daytime have continued.

Over the last six months more midwives have been appointment to plug the gap that led to the closures.

North Shropshire MP, Owen Paterson has also welcomed the news and has urged mothers-to-be to choose the Gobowen unit for births.

"I was surprised with how few women give birth there. We would like to see more women giving birth there to support the case for its continuation because it is convenient for local mothers.”

He also called for mothers, their partners and their families to take part in the ongoing maternity review by the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The results of the survey will be published next year.