To provide certainty for families, in March we committed to undertaking a review with maternity colleagues to develop a new staffing arrangement that will enable us to resume births at the midwifery led unit at Eastbourne DGH and provide safe community midwifery services. This work has now been completed and a plan has been proposed that will provide patient focused labour care both at home and in the maternity unit. This will enable us to deliver care flexibly, and ensure it is focused on supporting families with their choice of birth.
This follows the ongoing staffing challenges which meant we have had to suspend the option of births at the Eastbourne Maternity Unit to enable us to continue to provide safe maternity care within the community. This impacts around three births a week, but the unit has remained open throughout for outpatient antenatal and postnatal services.
Work is now underway to implement the new approach to ensure that we can provide a safe and resilient service, which will be in place from 2 September 2024 when births will resume at the unit.
Our maternity team continue to be in touch with families regarding their current options which include giving birth at home or at Conquest Hospital, and reassuring them that they will be fully supported with safe and effective maternity care.