LONDON. A row has broken out over the future of England’s small maternity units, many of them in rural and coastal areas.
The case for closures
NHS Alliance, a group of NHS leaders, told the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce that England’s maternity services are “not fit for purpose”. It said some small, understaffed units, mainly those delivering fewer than 2,000 babies a year, may have to close. It argues that these units lack specialist staff, on-call cover and beds as complex births and caesarean sections rise. It pointed to North Devon District Hospital, which suspended births because of unsafe medical staffing.
The pushback
- Royal College of Midwives: “the problem isn’t the units” but years of failing to invest in staff and hospitals. Closures would make women in labour travel further and widen inequalities.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: there are staffing gaps on almost every rota. Small units face real challenges, but safer alternatives to closure should be explored first.
Why it matters for midwives
Black and Asian women in England already face higher maternal death rates. Whatever the taskforce decides will shape where midwives work, how far women travel and whether staffing finally matches demand. Internationally educated midwives make up a growing share of the workforce, and any reorganisation will affect their jobs too.
Source: Nursing Times (23 October 2026).