Frome Birthing Centre reopens after midwife shortage

A birthing centre is reopening its doors more than two years after the Covid-19 pandemic and a midwife shortage forced it to close.

Frome Birthing Centre is back in operation, although staff have not yet restarted offering home-birth options.

More midwife posts need to be filled, but bosses say the option will be re-introduced.

Iris Andrews, a mother affected by the closure, said it was disappointing the option remained unavailable.

But Sarah Merritt, director of midwifery at Royal United Hospitals in Bath, said they were looking forward to welcoming families to the birthing centre again.

"It means women in the area have a choice to have their babies in a midwifery-led birth centre," she said.

Ms Andrews agreed that it was "fantastic news" that the birthing centre is reopening.

"But it's still really disappointing for those of us who want to birth at home, and I feel for those in Chippenham, Paulton and Trowbridge who are still waiting," she added.

Ms Merritt said more posts had to be filled until they could "confidently" offer home births again.

The Royal College of Midwives said there is a national shortage of 2,000 midwives.

Abbie Aplin, Director at the RCM, said the shortage was partly due to midwives feeling "under enormous pressure".

"They've given everything they can during Covid, they're absolutely exhausted," Ms Aplin said.

The government said it was aiming to hire 1,200 more midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians, as part of a "£95m recruitment drive" on top of a £127m "investment in maternity services over the next year, to help increase the maternity NHS workforce and improve neonatal care".

However, Ms Aplin said this "wasn't enough".

"We need a good workforce plan to be implemented so we can look to the future and sustain the staff going forward," she added.

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