Health chiefs agree to permanently close Pontefract birth centre

Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership (WDHCP) agreed to the move six years after the facility was temporarily shut down.

Friarwood Birth Centre has not reopened since it was temporarily shut in 2019 on the grounds of clinical safety due a shortage of midwives.

Birthing provision has been prioritised at a maternity-led unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield since the temporary closure.

A WDHCP committee also agreed to retain antenatal and postnatal services at Pontefract.

A further recommendation to carry out a “stocktake” in 2028, to assess the impact of any demographic changes in the district and future demand for maternity services, was also approved.

Mel Brown, accountable officer for WDHCP, said: “After careful consideration of public feedback, clinical evidence, and service data, the WDHCP committee has agreed not to reinstate the midwife-led birthing unit at Pontefract Hospital and to focus the service at Pontefract on delivering comprehensive, high-quality antenatal and postnatal care, together with wider family support.

“This decision supports a safe, sustainable and high-quality maternity service for the Wakefield district and beyond.

“It allows us to make the best use of our workforce and meet the changing needs and preferences of families in our area.”

Nine members of the committee voted for the proposals at a meeting held in the town on Tuesday (September 9).

There were no votes against and three members abstained.

A report said: “Establishing a permanent model of service will enable the birthing rooms at Pontefract to be re-purposed to increase the space available for antenatal and postnatal care, family support and group work, providing a more comfortable and confidential environment.

“Establishing a permanent model of service removes ongoing uncertainty for the population and staff.”

The document said reinstating birthing services at Pontefract would require additional staff at a cost of £1.3m.

The decision was taken after a 14-week consultation period which took place from February to May this year.

A total of 732 people engaged in the process, 75% of whom were women aged 20 to 39.

According to the report, 76% of respondents said they would choose to give birth at Pinderfields.

The report said the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust’s maternity services inspection ratings by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had improved since 2019 and there had been “no safety incidents associated with the withdrawal of the birthing facility.”

It continued: “The proposed model is based on five years’ experience of delivering this pattern of care, during which staff in the midwifery service and retention have significantly improved.

“The Trust has been able to make better use of the midwifery resource to support safety and experience across the service.

“Birth rates nationally and locally show a declining trend, which means capacity in the maternity service exceeds current and projected demand.

“However, future capacity requirements will need to be kept under review to reflect any growth in population or increase in birth rate in the district, or changes to national guidelines on staffing.”

Commenting on the decision, Kerry Reede Field, director of midwifery, children’s nursing and women’s health at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust said: “Our priority is always to provide the safest possible care, while making the best use of our workforce and resources.

“The feedback from the public consultation showed that while people value choice, most local families now prefer to give birth in settings where a wider range of medical support is available if needed, such as consultant-led (obstetric) units or a midwife- led unit that sits alongside a consultant-led labour ward.

“More people in the district also have complex health needs during pregnancy and need specialist care, which can only be provided in consultant-led settings.

“As a result, Pinderfields Hospital has become the most commonly chosen location for births in the district, where both a consultant-led labour ward and an alongside midwife-led unit are available.

“Families across Wakefield still have access to the full range of birth choices recommended by national guidance, including home birth, midwife-led birth centres and consultant-led services.

“People can also choose to give birth at neighbouring maternity units.

WDHCP previously agreed to permanently close the facility in January 2024 but the decision was put on hold following criticism from Wakefield Council’s NHS scrutiny committee.

Councillors accused local decision makers of “deliberately running down” the service to justify its closure.

At the time, Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, also called for the centre to remain open, saying parents had been “let down.”

The last public engagement on potential closure was carried out in 2018 and 2019.

The partnership agreed to carry out a new consultation before making a final decision but the process was delayed due to the general election being called last summer.