Expectant mothers may no longer have the choice of a postnatal bed at Paulton Hospital, if proposals by the CCG are passed next spring.

Whilst post-natal clinics would still be provided at Paulton, a consultation is underway to move beds to the RUH. Out of the four Freestanding Midwifery Units across the area, Chippeham and Frome will stay open, but Paulton and Trowbridge would no longer provide beds. Two new midwifery units would be created: one at the RUH, one at Salisbury District Hospital. The proposals say this would also allow for the improvement of antenatal and postnatal services for women in their own homes, and to support them to give birth at home, should they choose. Paulton currently has five postnatal beds.

Lucy Baker, Acting Director for Maternity Services at Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Lead Director for the project, said: “Despite the financial pressures facing the NHS locally and nationally, we are not planning to reduce how much we spend on maternity services, nor are we proposing to reduce the amount of staff we have or to close any buildings.”

Sarah Merritt, Head of Nursing and Midwifery at Royal United Hospital, Bath, said: “Some of the changes we are proposing are because, particularly at the RUH, certain services are underused and we are often staffing empty buildings and beds. 85% of women give birth in one of the three Obstetric Units with fewer than 6% giving birth across our four Freestanding Midwifery Units in Paulton, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Frome. We believe we have the right number and mix of staff, but they are not based in the right locations.

“In our Freestanding Midwifery Units, particularly at night, staff are covering areas even when there are no or very few births. On average, only one baby is delivered every two or three days in each of these units, but they need to be staffed to support births 24 hours a day seven days a week.”

Once the public consultation has closed, the responses will be carefully and independently analysed and the results used to help the Governing Bodies of B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Groups make a final decision by Spring 2019. The consultation runs until 24th February 2019.