North Devon Hospital release update on maternity services
It comes after weeks of closures at the hospital's birthing unit
Last updated 6 hours ago
North Devon District Hospital has released an update on the status of its maternity services.
After weeks of closure, it has today (Wednesday 26 August 2026) been announced North Devon Hospital's birthing unit could reopen at the end of September
It follows weeks of having to travel to Exeter due to a lack of staff.
Statement from NDDH:
“A Board briefing took place this morning to discuss progress towards safely reopening birthing services at North Devon District Hospital. The Board acknowledged the determination to restore birthing services as quickly as possible.
"The briefing clearly demonstrated the solid progress being made towards securing the required number of senior medical staff required and the Board confirmed agreement of these requirements to enable us to reopen safely. Before confirming a reopening date, the Board has asked for final assurance that those requirements have been met in full.
"We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be in a position to do this by the end of September, subject to final Board assurances on operational readiness, resilience and sustainability. A formal Board meeting to agree the reopening plan is being scheduled for next week.
"We understand that women, families and the wider community want certainty, and we remain focused on reopening the service as soon as it is safe and sustainable to do so. We will provide a further update once those final assurances are in place.”
In a statement on social media, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said:
"There has been widespread media coverage this week reporting that pregnant women and birthing people are being offered classes on how to give birth in a car during the temporary suspension of birthing services at North Devon District Hospital.
"The Royal Devon is not providing advice or classes to women, birthing people or their partners on having their babies either on the side of the road or in the back of their cars. We understand the advice discussed in the media is being shared by an external organisation independent of both the Royal Devon and the NHS.
"The care of women and birthing people remains our absolute priority, and we are committed to supporting them and their families individually. The Royal Devon has contacted women and birthing people immediately impacted by the temporary suspension of birthing services at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) to develop individual birthing plans that meet their own individual needs, including plans on travelling to hospital when labour begins.
"Since the temporary suspension of births at NDDH, 51 women and birthing people from North Devon have given birth at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), with no baby being born before arrival in hospital."