Over recent weeks the Trust has been exploring options to deal with extreme staff shortages within its maternity unit over the summer period. These shortages are due to natural turnover, vacancies, annual leave, sickness and maternity leave, and through our forward planning we identified that patients would be put at risk unless the situation was dealt with quickly. Patient safety and staff welfare is our top priority and we have taken this matter very seriously; after exploring all the options it is felt that the temporary closure of Wycombe Birth Centre is the safest and least disruptive way to deal with staffing shortages over the summer period. 

Our proposal is that from 1 August 2010, the unit will transfer for three months to join our second midwife-led birthing centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. We have six women currently booked to deliver at Wycombe Birth Centre during the period of temporary closure; we have already made contact with these women to discuss the matter, and to offer advice around their forthcoming labour as well as the opportunity to visit the Aylesbury Birth Centre.

Pregnant women in Wycombe still considering their birthing options will continue to be supported by our community midwives. A temporary closure of Wycombe Birth Centre would still mean that women in Buckinghamshire could continue to access a range of birthing options including – home birth, midwife-led birth at the Aylesbury Birth Centre and consultant-led birth in our Labour Ward at Stoke Mandeville. During this time, women would still be able to continue accessing a range of maternity support services from Wycombe Hospital, including the antenatal service and breastfeeding clinics.

We are committed to the Wycombe Birth Centre and have plans to ensure it is reopened by November at the latest; we are in the process of recruiting an additional 17 midwives who are due to join us in October.

If patients have any concerns, please contact your midwife.

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