Public consultation on Shropshire's maternity shake-up plans at least three months away

NHS England wants the West Midlands Clinical Senate to declare the plans clinically sound before giving the go-ahead for a public consultation to begin.

The consultation will consider proposals to shake-up maternity services and end births at the rural midwife-led units in Oswestry, Ludlow and Bridgnorth.

Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), told a meeting of the CCG's governance board yesterday: "There's little chance of starting the consultation in the next three months.

"They are asking us to go through the same process we went through with Future Fit which took us six months from start to finish.

"Whilst we don't have dates yet, we are probably looking at a similar sort of timescale."

Dr Jessica Sokolov, a GP and clinical director of women’s and children’s services, said the proposals had been taken to the West Midlands Clinical Senate and were "well received".

She said a tabletop review was now planned for June, which will look at the plans in more detail.

Clinical senates have been established to be a source of independent, strategic advice and guidance to commissioners to assist them to make the best decisions about healthcare for the populations they represent.

Both Shropshire CCG and Telford & Wrekin CCG have already signed the plans off for public consultation.

But the proposals must go through NHS England's assurance process.

Under the proposals, women will be able to give birth at the consultant-led unit at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, at the hospital’s neighbouring midwife led unit at PRH, at a free-standing midwife-led unit at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or at home.

A series of maternity ‘hubs’ would also be created to support women before and after birth.

The three rural midwife-led units reopened to births on New Year’s Day after a suspension due to staffing issues last year.

Health campaigners have expressed their dismay at the repeated temporary suspensions of inpatient services at the midwife led units ever since.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the maternity units, says an increasing number of women are choosing, or being assessed as needing, to have their babies in consultant-led units over rural midwife-led units.

The temporary closures have also been blamed on staff sickness.

Health bosses announced last month that inpatient services at Bridgnorth’s midwife-led unit will be suspended until April 22.

The unit remains open between 8am and 8pm for antenatal and postnatal services.