Andy Burnham pledges action over 'unacceptable' maternity closure as women taught to give birth in car

Andy Burnham pledges action over 'unacceptable' maternity closure as women taught to give birth in car Barnstaple’s North Devon District Hospital temporarily shuttered its birthing wing due to staff shortages, forcing expectant mums to make the gruelling nearly two-hour journey to Exeter Andy Burnham has committed to reopening a maternity ward in the south-west of England after its closure left women being offered classes on how to give birth in a car. Barnstaple’s North Devon District Hospital temporarily shuttered its birthing wing due to staff shortages, forcing expectant mums to make the nearly two-hour journey to Exeter. The new PM was asked about the crisis, revealed by the Mirror, with Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey urging him to commit to reopening the ward “in days”. Responding at PMQs, Mr Burnham said: “Let me give a direct answer. I will commit to reopening, but not within days, I don't think I am in a position to make that commitment today. I agree with him it's not acceptable for people living in the North Devon area to have to travel that far. “Let me take that away, and also say to him with honesty there are structural issues here affecting maternity services across the UK. This is not the only hospital where there have been difficulties. I am aware from my former time as Secretary of State for Health, that there have been longstanding shortages of midwives across the country, and I believe it is right that we look at all of those issues. “I can give him a guarantee that my right honorable friend, the Health Secretary, is looking at those issues, following the recent maternity reviews that we have had.” The trust suspended all births, including c-sections, on August 11 due to a lack of consultants and obstetricians. Triage appointments - to check on mum and baby if any problems are suspected - have also been stopped. The Lib Dem leader had asked: “I can’t imagine the extra stress and anxiety that will have caused. Women are even being taught how to give birth in their cars. This should be unthinkable in our country. Will the PM commit to reopening the North Devon maternity unit in days, not weeks?”. Last week a top NHS expert warned England is facing a maternity care crisis, with more units facing closure. Matthew Hopkins, The NHS Alliance’s acute and ambulance director, said some hospitals would face difficulties to provide the required level of obstetric cover. And he predicted that maternity units which see fewer than 2,000 births per year would "struggle" to survive because of a recruitment crisis. Last month hundreds of expectant mums took to the streets of Barnstaple calling for the unit to reopen, and just days later, the trust’s medical director Dr Karen Davies resigned in protest, saying bosses "could have produced a plan to avoid closure.”