Gloucestershire maternity units still shut after staff shortages

Maternity services in Gloucestershire will remain shut for months because of staff shortages, it has been confirmed.

The Aveta Birth Unit in Cheltenham and Stroud's post-natal facilities are not expected to re-open until at least October, bosses say.

The announcement by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust means women will have been unable to use the services for more than a year.

Maternity campaigners say new mothers are not getting support they need.

The trust said it had a long-term commitment to both units, but they cannot reopen safely at the moment.

The Aveta unit has been shut since last June and Stroud's six postnatal beds have been closed since September.

It means new mothers are forced to go home 12 hours after giving birth, or if they have medical needs being sent to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

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Source: BBC News, 19 May 2023