THE temporary suspension of birth services at Okehampton and Honiton birth centres has been extended for a further three months.

The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has announced that ongoing staff sickness and high patient demand in the acute unit in Exeter means it has not yet been able to reach acceptable staffing levels. The news means that the birthing services in Okehampton have been suspended since July 2017.

The trust said good progress has been made to recruit staff into vacancies within the wider maternity service, though sickness has forced the healthcare trust to continuing to suspend birth services at Okehampton and Honiton to ensure patient safety and quality is maintained across our maternity service.

The extension means that women will not be able to give birth at either site for a further three months. The trust will review the suspension again in April.

All antenatal and postnatal clinics, midwifery support and home birth services at Okehampton and Honiton are unaffected and running as normal.

Zita Martinez, head of midwifery reiterated that ’We are sorry for this continued suspension in inpatient services and understand it will be disappointing for women who had hoped to birth at Honiton or Okehampton.

’Patient safety remains our top priority and we are continuing to work hard to resolve this as soon as possible.’

Honiton and Okehampton Birth Centres are open for clinics and midwife care and support 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. Outside of these hours women should call the RD&E main maternity triage service on 01392 406616.

Read more about this breaking news in Thursday’s edition of the Okehampton Times.