Health chiefs say a midwifery unit in Lichfield will reopen “when it is safe to do so”.
The facility at the Samuel Johnson Community Hospital has been shut since March 2020 when services were centralised to combat staffing issues during the pandemic.
A meeting earlier this month heard the aim was for the centre to reopen as an on-demand service before the end of the year.
A spokesperson for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board said safety would be paramount in deciding when the Lichfield site would welcome expectant mothers once more.
“We are committed to re-opening the units, as an on-demand model, when it is safe to do so.
“Due to Covid-19 and ongoing recruitment challenges, our midwives are currently most needed in our larger centres where the vast majority of births are delivered.
“Our priority is to deliver a safe and quality maternity experience.”
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board spokesperson
The original closure was earmarked as a temporary measure, but the birthing centre has remained shut, with parents travelling to Queen’s Hospital in Burton instead.
The home birthing service across Lichfield and Burntwood has, however, returned for the first time since the pandemic this month.
“We would like to thank local people for their patience, while we respond to high Covid-19 cases and seek to recruit more midwives.
“We would also like to thank our hard working staff who continue to go above and beyond during this pandemic.
“If you are hoping to give birth in the near future, your midwife will be happy to talk through birthing options including our homebirth service.”
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board spokesperson
