Births to resume at hospital after staffing issues
GoogleBirths are set to resume at a hospital in June after some maternity services were paused due to staffing issues.
The Rowan Suite at the University Hospital of Hartlepool became fully operational in 2020 and took bookings from women considered to be "low risk".
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust bosses announced in May there would be a pause in intrapartum care - the period from the start of labour until delivery - at the site.
The halt was initially due to be in place for three months, however in October it was confirmed this had "been extended to January" following a "period of review".
Antenatal and postnatal care has continued as normal during this period, along with home births.
The latest meeting of Hartlepool's health and wellbeing board heard staffing pressures had eased and the "birth availability option" at the Rowan Suite was due to return in the summer, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
'Robust maternity service'
Stephanie Worn, director of midwifery at University Hospital Tees, said: "We have seen improvements in the workforce pressures, so that's in terms of vacancies and sickness and absence returns.
"We do foresee that we'll have a planned reopening of the Rowan Suite at the University Hospital of Hartlepool and that will be a phased adoption into June."
Phase one of the reopening plan will see return-to-work support, engagement and training taking place until April, followed by confirmation of the workforce model and governance approval in April and May.
Labour councillor Brenda Harrison, speaking at the meeting, said it was "very disappointing and upsetting" when the Rowan Suite temporarily closed and it was "great to see" it was going to be "back up and running again".
However, she stressed she and other councillors wanted to see a full consultant-led maternity service provided to allow more children to be born in Hartlepool.
"We do as a town and as a borough deserve a more robust maternity service," she said.
University Hospitals Tees representatives responded by noting there are now "a lot more complexities within maternity services" and national restrictions in place around safety, however comments would be passed on to organisation chiefs.
