East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust issue update on Eastbourne Midwifery Unit

The Midwifery Unit was shut with ‘immediate effect in December 2023 following staffing challenges.

Following this, East Sussex NHS Trust had announced that the unit would remain closed until the end of January 2024.

The unit continued to remain closed for births following an announcement by the trust in early February, however, on February 29, the trust said that it would undertake a review which would enable the resumption of births at the hospital.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: “Since mid-December, due to staffing challenges facing our maternity services in Eastbourne, we have redeployed staff from the Eastbourne Midwifery Unit into our community midwifery team to ensure that we are able to continue to provide safe maternity care within the community.

"To provide certainty for patients we are now undertaking a review with maternity colleagues to develop a new staffing model that will enable us to resume births at Eastbourne DGH and provide safe community midwifery services. We are committed to completing this work by the end of April.

“The current suspension is just the latest over recent months and underlines the challenge around recruiting trained midwives due to the national shortage. The suspension impacts around three births a week, but the unit has remained open throughout for outpatient antenatal and postnatal services.

“Our maternity team are in touch with anyone who is affected, to discuss their options which include giving birth at home or at Conquest Hospital, and reassuring them that they will be fully supported with safe and effective maternity care.”