North Devon District Hospital will temporarily suspend birthing services starting August 11 due to ongoing staffing shortages. The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust described this as the only safe path forward after failing to secure enough staff through locum cover or mutual aid agreements.
Chief Nursing Officer Carolyn Mills stated the trust attempted to keep services running but clinical safety requirements made the suspension unavoidable. The trust has reached out to more than 300 patients who are 34 weeks pregnant or further along in their term. These individuals are receiving guidance on care plans and transport support options.
While birthing services at the Barnstaple site are on pause, other related departments remain operational. Community midwifery, antenatal outpatient clinics, scans, and birth planning sessions will continue in North Devon as planned. The final inductions and caesarean sections at the hospital will occur this Friday, with the unit closing to spontaneous labor on Sunday.
Management emphasized that this move is temporary. A recovery program is currently in place with a focus on workforce recruitment and long-term service resilience. The trust maintains that patient safety remains the primary reason for this operational change.