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Up To 20 Maternity Units In England Could Close, NHS Leader Warns. Up to 20 maternity units in England may need to close or change their role to ensure mothers and babies receive safe care, an NHS leader has warned. Centralising childbirth services into fewer hospitals was described as "inevitable" because of shortages of obstetricians and growing pressure on maternity services. Smaller units delivering around 1,500 to 2,000 babies a year are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, particularly in rural and coastal areas. Rising numbers of planned and emergency caesarean sections are also putting pressure on staffing levels and operating theatre capacity. Ministers and MPs have been urged to support changes despite concerns that some expectant mothers would have to travel further to give birth. The current configuration of maternity services was described as "not fit for purpose", with warnings that understaffed units may struggle to provide safe care. The government's maternity taskforce is due to report before Christmas, amid calls for it to address the wider structural problems facing childbirth services. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has acknowledged "structural issues" in maternity care, after around 194 women from north Devon reportedly had to travel 43 miles to Exeter to give birth.
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