Yeovil Hospital's maternity unit temporarily closing amid 'concerns over safety of care of babies'

ITV News

13-05-2025

The maternity unit at Yeovil District Hospital will be closed down temporarily due to concerns for the safety of care for babies and children.
In a statement the hospital trust said it 'cannot currently safely run the unit' or 'safely provide care during labour and birth'.
Staff members say they were told in an emergency meeting on Tuesday, 13 May and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed it will close from 5pm on Monday.
The hospital trust has said the care of pregnant women will now be transferred to Musgrove Park Hospital or maternity units in Dorchester or Bath.
The temporary closure comes after maternity services at the hospital were rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), last year.
According to the CQC's report, there was not enough emergency equipment in the unit to safely care for babies, and the service didn't always have enough medical staff.
It also found not all staff followed infection control principles, like washing their hands before administering care.
Maternity services at Taunton's Musgrove Park were similarly rated inadequate and bosses of both hospitals were sent warning notices of the need to improve. The report found staff had failed to complete mandatory training, with knowledge gaps including how to manage when unborn babies had reduced movements or growth restrictions.
Bridgwater was found to need improvement, with issues around leadership, waiting times and how equipment was maintained. The CQC report also found lessons were not always learned following incidents.
In a statement the trust's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Melanie Iles, said: 'This is a very difficult decision that we have not taken lightly.
"We have made it after careful consideration, and a clinical assessment of those services, in discussion withNHS partners. I want to personally say sorry to local people who are affected by these temporary closures.'
'These temporary closures have come about as a result of concerns about our care for babies and children at YDH.
"The Care Quality Commission inspected our paediatric services in January and issued a Section 29A warning notice because it assessed that the paediatric care we provide at YDH requires significantimprovement.
"We also currently have high levels of sickness amongst senior paediatricians which has caused big gaps in our rota.
'Senior paediatricians from Musgrove Park Hospital are supporting the service at YDH, to ensure that paediatric inpatient and outpatient services at YDH are open for those who need them. However, we are not able to support the SCBU in the same way and therefore we must close it temporarily on safety grounds.
"This directly impacts on the YDH inpatient maternity service because we cannot care for any newborns who require care in a Special Care Baby Unit or safely provide care during labour and birth at the Yeovil Maternity Unit.
'Most services remain open, and we are working with neighbouring NHS trusts and the Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to ensure that pregnant women, birthing people and their newborn babies receive the care and support they need.'
'We are committed to providing safe, high quality and sustainable services for those who need them, but we must address these concerns and need the time and space to do this. I apologise again to anyone who is affected by these changes.'
'Families in Yeovil deserve more'
Adam Dance, The MP for Yeovil, said in a statement the sudden closure was "deeply unsettling and unacceptable".
'I am extremely concerned by the decision to close Yeovil Maternity Unit — even if the Trust says it is temporary", the statement read. Like many people across our community, I find this deeply unsettling and unacceptable."
"I have directly asked senior figures at the Trust for reassurance that the service will reopen after six months — and they have been unable to give it. That's simply not good enough.
"Families in Yeovil deserve more than vague promises — they deserve answers, action, and proper access to care.
"Moving all services to Taunton, where staff have already raised concerns about not having enough capacity to manage their own patient load, is deeply troubling.
"Expecting that overstretched service to safely take on additional cases from Yeovil is not realistic, and it risks putting even more pressure on dedicated staff already at breaking point.
"I've also been contacted by constituents raising serious concerns about longstanding problems within Yeovil Maternity Unit: poor management, unsafe working conditions, and how staff have been treated.
"These cannot be swept under the rug — they must be addressed openly and urgently. This isn't just about buildings and services.
"It's about trust — and right now, that trust has been badly damaged. I will keep pushing for a full explanation from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Somerset, and I won't stop demanding a clear plan to restore safe, local maternity care in Yeovil. Our community cannot afford to lose this service for good.'