Readers have highlighted that the closure of North Devon district hospital is part of a wider trend, with pregnant women in rural areas facing increasingly long journeys to give birth. In south Cumbria, first-time deliveries are only available at Lancaster or Barrow-in-Furness. From Ambleside, the drive to Royal Lancaster infirmary can take an hour, but traffic often causes long delays. An ambulance may be quicker, but there is often a two-hour delay before one becomes available, according to Pat Gibson from Kendal.
Rural Maternity Units Closed Across the UK
Gibson, who had to drive his partner to hospital following a heart attack, is aware of ambulance delays in Cumbria. He recalls that Kendal once had a maternity unit, now closed, which was midwife-led and possibly deemed unsafe. However, he felt supported by an experienced midwife was the best outcome, certainly better than being in the second stage of labour on the hard shoulder of the M6.
In Caithness, mothers-to-be have had to travel for more than two hours to give birth at Raigmore hospital for over a decade, as services were downgraded at Caithness general hospital. Julie Adams from Arbroath notes that this issue makes young professionals think twice about accepting posts in teaching and healthcare in the north Highlands. The distance from a major hospital also led her and colleagues who had lived and worked in Caithness for four decades to decide not to retire in the far north.
Historical Closures and Current Risks in North Devon
A reader from Lynton recalls that in 1978, when his mother was pregnant, she hoped to give birth in the local cottage hospital but was told to travel to Barnstaple. Now, 46 years later, women in north Devon are told to travel to Taunton or Exeter for spontaneous births, or stay at home and hope for the best. He describes this as horrifying, noting that cars may have changed since the 1970s, but congestion on local roads only gets worse. He asks what is next, Plymouth or Bristol, and points out that working-age people are already priced out by holiday lets and second homes, and now they cannot give birth safely either.
Sarah Sheils from York was dismayed to discover that women in Barnstaple will have to travel to Exeter, 40 miles away along narrow country roads, while in labour. She calls this sheer madness and worries women might end up having babies by the roadside. Sheils had quick labours, and one of her children had the cord around his neck, which would not have survived if not safely in hospital. She hopes Yvette Cooper, the new health secretary, can act quickly to address the chronic shortage of midwives in the country.
Call for Binding National Maternity Standards
The letters come as Yvette Cooper plans to reintroduce binding national maternity standards, according to an article on 6 August. Readers urge swift action to prevent further risks to pregnant women in rural areas.
