12 midwife-led birth centres have closed in England since 2019 — The Guardian

Since 2019, 12 midwife-led birth centres have closed in England. Six of these facilities permanently ceased operations after the Labour Party came to power in July 2024, The Guardian reports.

Fewer options for women giving birth

Such centres allow women to choose between giving birth in a hospital unit under doctors’ supervision, in a midwife-led facility, or at home. Representatives of public organisations say that the closures of local centres restrict this choice and force women to travel outside their area to give birth.

Another four centres are formally temporarily closed, although some have been out of operation for as long as six years. Two facilities ceased operating because of the poor condition of the hospitals in which they were located. They will not operate for several years until new premises are built.

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Staff shortages and home births

Shortages of midwives in NHS England, falling birth rates, increasing complexity of births and the number of caesarean sections are cited as reasons for closures and suspensions. NHS bodies that closed the centres generally explained their decisions by a lack of staff to provide care safely.

In some areas of England and Wales, the NHS also suspended home birth support services, in some cases for up to 14 months. The Royal College of Midwives warned that a lack of access to midwifery care in the NHS could push some women towards paid private services or giving birth at home without a medical professional.

The birth centre in Huddersfield, which closed in November 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has still not reopened. At the same time, Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust said that it plans to reopen the centre in Cheltenham, closed since 2022, in February, while home birth services are expected to resume in January.