Maternity services suspended

A HEALTH board has ceased maternity services across its area after a staff shortage due to sickness.

Aneurin Bevan health board – which covers Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen – has temporarily suspended home birthing services and midwifery-led services at four hospitals.

It affects maternity departments in the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Ysbity Aneurin Bevan in Ebbw Vale and Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach.

In a statement, a spokesman for the health board said it was experiencing a “high number of births and short-term staff absence”. Additional midwives have been recruited, but the suspension of services will stay in place until October 18.

In the meantime all births will be directed to The Grange hospital in Cwmbran.

The statement read: “We are currently experiencing a high number of births and short-term staff absence due to sickness and self-isolation. We have recently recruited additional midwives into our vacancies and these will be starting with us later in October.

“In the meantime, to ensure the safety of expectant mothers and babies, we have taken the decision to temporarily cease home birthing services and close our midwifery-led birthing areas in the Royal Gwent Hospital, Nevill Hall Hospital, Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan and Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr.

“These temporary arrangements will allow us to redeploy our midwives to the Grange University Hospital, where all births will temporarily be directed.

“We apologise to the small number of expectant mothers who will be affected by this change. We hope all out maternity services will be able to reopen as usual from October 18.”