Full Breakdown
NHS warns small maternity units may close as C-section rates surge
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: North Devon suspension highlights national risk
Birthing services at North Devon District Hospital were suspended on August 11 because of staff shortages, forcing expectant mothers in Barnstaple and surrounding areas to travel a 53-mile (85 km) journey to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Campaigners say 194 women have already given birth in Exeter since the closure.
The NHS Alliance warns that rising caesarean-section (C-section) rates and chronic staffing gaps could make up to 20 of England’s 155 consultant-led maternity units unsafe, prompting potential closures.
Background & Context
C-section deliveries now account for 45 % of NHS births, up from 33 % in 2020. Smaller units—delivering 1,500–2,000 babies annually, often in rural areas—struggle to maintain 24-hour obstetric and anaesthetic staffing and adequate theatre capacity. The Alliance describes the current configuration as “not fit for purpose.”
Data & Statistics
- C-section share: 45 % of NHS births (MBRRACE-UK).
- Units at risk: up to 20 of 155 consultant-led maternity units.
- Travel impact: North Devon mothers now travel 53 miles to Exeter; Andy Burnham noted a 43-mile, 70-minute car journey for some patients.
- Funding: The Department of Health and Social Care has committed £271 million since April 2025 to improve maternity and neonatal safety.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Andy Burnham used his first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions on September 2 to label the situation a “structural issue” and called the long travel distances “not acceptable.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is time now to take a step back and consider how we should best organise maternity services across England and where those services should be located.” — Yvette Cooper, for health secretary
- “We are calling for a thorough appraisal of maternity services and where they need to be located because the current configuration is not fit for purpose,” — Matthew Hopkins, NHS Alliance
- “Closing units that serve some of our most rural and isolated communities means women travelling unacceptable distances in labour and midwives redeployed miles from home to prop up stretched units.” — Department of Health
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Times cites 24 smaller units as already vulnerable, while the NHS Alliance references “up to 20” at risk. No definitive list of specific hospitals slated for closure has been published.
What’s Next
The national maternity and neonatal taskforce will publish its reform plan by December. Decisions on reopening the North Devon unit will follow a staffing review by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The NHS Alliance expects further consolidation proposals to be debated with local NHS leaders, clinicians, patients and community representatives in the coming months.