Public consultation on Shropshire's maternity shake-up plans may start in October

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

A report to Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group's governing body, which meets on Wednesday, suggests a 12-week consultation could run from October to December.

NHS England must give the go-ahead.

The report says there is a seven stage assurance process and it is difficult to know when the public consultation will be allowed to begin.

It continues: "It is anticipated however, based on the requirement to go through each of the seven stages above, that a further four months is likely."

A provisional timeline in the report suggests that the public consultation will run from October to December.

It would be followed by a two week review and amendments may be made to the proposals before the final sign off.

Health bosses have previously expressed their concerns about the delay in reaching the public consultation stage.

Under the proposals, which have already been signed off by Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs, 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.

SaTH 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.