Births to be suspended at North Devon District Hospital
The suspension is to start on 11th August due to staffing concerns
Births at North Devon District Hospital will be temporarily suspended from 11th August 2026 due to inadequate medical staffing levels, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has announced.
The decision follows extensive exploration of options to maintain services, including securing additional locum cover and mutual aid from partner organisations. Despite these efforts, staffing levels were deemed unsafe for continuing births at the hospital.
Carolyn Mills, Chief Nursing Officer at Royal Devon, explained, “This was an exceptionally difficult decision to make. Our absolute priority is, and always will be, the safety of women, birthing people and their babies.”
Services affected by the suspension include births and face to face triage, whilst community midwifery, scans, birth planning, ultrasound clinics and antenatal outpatient clinics will remain available in Northern Devon.
Final planned inductions and c-sections are set for 7th August, with the hospital accepting spontaneous labours until 9th August.
Over 300 women and birthing people who are 34 weeks pregnant or more, and those identified as vulnerable or clinically high risk, have been contacted by the Trust to discuss individual care plans and available travel support.
A dedicated helpline for pregnant women and birthing people is operational at 01271 335773 (9am-5pm, Monday – Friday), while a 24/7 maternity triage line is available for urgent medical advice at 01392 406616.
Carolyn Mills expressed commitment to reopening services, stating, “While this temporary suspension is deeply disappointing to our communities, we are fully committed to reopening birthing services at NDDH as soon as possible.”
Efforts are underway to restore services, focusing on recruitment, workforce planning, staff retention, and service resilience. The Trust is set to keep women, families, staff and local communities informed with regular updates on the Royal Devon's North Devon birth services temporary changes webpage.
You can find out more here.