Birthing centre closes due to staff shortages

Next week expectant mothers from Midsomer Norton will have to travel to Frome or Bath to give birth. 

From July 19, Paulton Birthing Centre will close for three-months. The closure has been blamed on staff shortages in Paulton and Frome.

Somerset health chiefs claim exceptional staffing circumstances brought about by a combination of compassionate leave, maternity leave and long-term sickness at both the Paulton and Frome units are to blame, but are assuring local people that the closure is only of a temporary nature and will have little or no affect on the Frome unit.

An average of 30 babies a month are born at Paulton and the Frome Community Hospital unit has four delivery rooms and en-suite facilities but no maternity ward. Out of hours advice and help will be given over the phone by midwives based at Frome.

Ann Kennedy, director of nursing for Wiltshire Community Health Service, which looks after services in the area, said that the Paulton unit would re-open as soon as staffing levels permitted.

She said: "We are very sorry to have had to take this step which we know will cause temporary and hopefully only slight inconvenience to mothers hoping to have their baby at Paulton.

"We will be reviewing our sickness levels on a weekly basis and will re-open as soon as staffing levels permit.”