NHS Warns of Potential Closure of Up to 20 Maternity Units

NHS leaders are stating that England’s maternity care organisation is ‘not fit for purpose’ and up to 20 units may need to close due to shortages of staff and rising caesarean section rates. The NHS Alliance is calling for a taskforce to address strategic issues and improve patient safety.

What happened

• NHS Alliance director Matthew Hopkins warned that up to 20 NHS maternity units in England may have to close, citing a combination of factors including a shortage of specialist staff, a rise in C-sections, and the challenges faced by smaller units in rural and coastal areas.
• Hopkins stated that units delivering 1,500 to 2,000 babies annually are becoming unsustainable.
• He emphasized that the current configuration is ‘not fit for purpose’ and requires consolidation to support safer care.
• The rise in C-sections, coupled with inadequate operating theatres and outdated buildings, poses a significant safety risk.
• Hopkins called for a thorough appraisal of maternity services and where they need to be located.
• Matthew Hopkins further stated that difficult decisions lie ahead, consolidating maternity services to support safer, more sustainable care.
• The NHS Alliance believes that politicians must have the courage to make the case for patient safety.
• The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many units struggle to maintain safe staffing numbers for 24-hour care, including midwives and consultants.
• The government’s taskforce is expected to address these issues, but Hopkins expressed concern that it may be ‘tokenistic’ if it does not clearly outline how the NHS should accommodate the rise in C-sections.
• The closure of units like those in North Devon and Yeovil, due to understaffing, highlights the vulnerability of rural services, with an estimated 194 women having had their child in Exeter due to the North Devon unit closure.

Original reporting

• BBC: NHS leaders say maternity care organisation is 'not fit for purpose'
  2026-10-19T05:00:08.074000+00:00
• Guardian: Up to 20 maternity units in England may have to shut, NHS leader warns
  2026-10-19T00:00:00+00:00