Jean Burbridge asks:
1. Why is UHL closing down St Mary’s midwife led birth centre? This birth centre is the stand-alone midwife led birth facility for the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The Decision Making Business Case following public consultation for Building Better Hospital For the Future promised a replacement stand-along midwife led birth centre would be created at Leicester General Hospital but this has not happened.
2. A stand-alone midwife led birth centre is supposed to be one of the four options made available to women for the births of their babies. However, St Mary’s in Melton Mowbray seems to be closed down with little discussion. Has this been brought before the Joint LLR Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for detailed scrutiny?
3. If not, can the chair give an assurance that no closure will take place before detailed scrutiny has taken place in this committee?
Minutes:
The following questions were asked:
Jean Burbridge asked:
1. Why is UHL closing down St Mary’s midwife led birth centre? This birth centre is the stand-alone midwife led birth facility for the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The Decision Making Business Case following public consultation for Building Better Hospital For the Future promised a replacement stand-along midwife led birth centre would be created at Leicester General Hospital but this has not happened.
2. A stand-alone midwife led birth centre is supposed to be one of the four options made available to women for the births of their babies. However, St Mary’s in Melton Mowbray seems to be closed down with little discussion. Has this been brought before the Joint LLR Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for detailed scrutiny?
3. If not, can the chair give an assurance that no closure will take place before detailed scrutiny has taken place in this committee?
The Chair allowed a supplementary question:
So when you say temporary closed for safety reasons, what are those safety reasons?
Godfrey Jennings asked:
1. Do the commitments in the 2021 Decision Making Business Case regarding Building Better Hospitals For the Future (now renamed Our Future Hospital) still stand? Several times, UHL has reaffirmed those commitments, although it is accepted that the Treatment Centre at the Glenfield Hospital will be different from that originally envisaged following the establishment of the separately funded East Midlands Planned Care Centre. The UHL webpage on Our Future Hospitals is vague and UHL has now stated its plan to close St Mary’s Birth Centre in Melton Mowbray.
2. Will UHL give an assurance that the promised midwife led stand-alone birth centre at the General Hospital will be in place before any closure of St Mary’s?
The Chair allowed a supplementary question:
Commitments in the 2021 business case, Building Better Hospitals for the Future confirmed the commitments at Glenfield Hospital and East Midlands Care Centre. The Future Hospitals website stated plans to pause St Marys in Melton. Will NHS University Hospitals Leicester (UHL) give a promise that Health Centre at the General Hospital will be in place before the closure of St Mary’s?
Due to the questions relating to the same item of business, the Chief Medical Officer of the Integrated Care Board, chose to respond to the questions all at once. The following was noted:
· The decision for closure was taken on 7th July 2025.
· The reason for the closure was due to low numbers of patients and limited staffing for the unit.
· Pausing births and inpatient care at the centre from 7th July was a difficult but necessary decision. University Hospitals Leicester took this step to ensure the safety of women, mothers and babies using the service, and that safety must remain the highest priority.
· The Integrated Care Board is currently working with University Hospitals Leicester to determine the next steps for Saint Mary’s Birth Centre and, as has been said, this is a pause at this point in time. This work includes consideration of all safety issues and any mitigations in place, and an update is expected to be provided in the new year.
· It was confirmed that this was a pause of the current facility, and that work was ongoing to consider the next steps and the options that had been outlined. Any future decisions would be assessed from both a safety and an equity perspective to ensure that the appropriate decision was made. Members were advised that a further update would be provided with clarity early in the new year.
· In response to the question regarding safety concerns, it was explained that the reasons for the pause had been set out in July and were reiterated. These related primarily to the low number of births taking place at the centre and the resulting challenges in safely staffing the unit. It was emphasised that ensuring patient safety and adequate staffing levels remained paramount. Members were advised that a full review of the service was ongoing, including consideration of mitigations currently in place and the future position of the unit. It was confirmed that a more detailed report would be brought back to scrutiny, setting out the outcomes of this work, and that this would take place within the agreed timescales. It was also stated that scrutiny would receive this information before any formal decision was made.
· It was clarified that the pause was not driven by financial pressures and that funding was available. It was acknowledged that staffing was available, including midwives completing training who were seeking employment within Leicester and Leicestershire. However, it was explained that the work underway focused on ensuring the service could be delivered safely, was sustainable, and represented value for money in the context of the very low number of births at the centre. Consideration was also being given to equity of access. Members were advised that this work was ongoing and subject to both Integrated Care Board and University Hospitals Leicester governance processes, and that a detailed report would be brought back to scrutiny once this work had been completed.
AGREED:
That an update would be provided to the commission in the New Year.