Births 'may not resume' at Shropshire midwife-led units
Health bosses will consult with the public over plans to permanently stop births at three midwife-led units.
The units at Ludlow, Bridgnorth and Oswestry closed to births 18 months ago but offer ante and post-natal care. Jess Sokolov, of Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said talks on this becoming permanent start in September. Services such as scans and check-ups would continue at the sites under her proposals, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Last year, health bosses said more than 98% of women in the area were giving birth away from the rural units and the trust had to deploy midwives in Shrewsbury or Telford, especially for mothers-to-be advised to go to the Princess Royal Hospital's consultant-led unit. Dr Sokolov, the CCG's medical director, told the Shropshire and Telford councils joint health overview scrutiny committee she wanted to keep births limited to Shrewsbury and Telford. "I cannot guarantee that what we come up with will be perfect forever and we will listen and act on things," she said. "I agree that a public consultation exercise will be listened to and acted upon." This will include surveys and drop-in events and is expected to last up to eight weeks. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.