HSC is "very sorry" to drop support for homebirths

Friday 04 March 2022

The midwife-supported home birth service will not be re-introduced after it was suspended during the covid-19 pandemic.

The Committee for Health & Social Care announced this morning that its small team of midwives could not facilitate the service in people's homes in addition to running services on Loveridge Ward at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

“Ensuring appropriate support is in place for homebirths relies on a demanding on-call commitment from community midwives on top of their contracted hours,” said the Committee.

Pictured: The Committee for Health & Social Care will not resume a midwife-supported homebirth service.

The Committee said that supporting a single birth at home requires two of the five community midwives to be on-call for 24 hours a day for up to five weeks at a time.

“The Committee recognises that some women may wish to give birth at home, and it would like to be in a position to provide that service. However, we are duty bound to ensure the core services on Loveridge Ward are maintained at all times," it said.

There have been approximately 15 planned homebirths in the last five years in Guernsey.

“The Committee must carefully balance the desire of women to choose their preferred place of birth against the rights of all women to receive a safe level of maternity care.”

The on-call rota was needed for midwives to attend homebirths because midwives working on Loveridge Ward cannot travel to attend a homebirth without reducing capacity on the ward to below the national guidelines.

Pictured: Committee for Health & Social Care Vice-President, Deputy Tina Bury.

Committee Vice-President Deputy Tina Bury said the decision not to reinstate the service was a difficult one.

“Decisions involving health and care are often difficult and this is a clear example,” she said.

“Everyone involved in the delivery of maternity services would like to be in a position where we could re-introduce midwife-supported homebirths.

“We are responsible for ensuring that the Maternity Service is adequately staffed so that it can provide safe, high-quality care to all women throughout their pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period.”

Pictured: The vast majority of births in Guernsey are on Loveridge Ward at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Deputy Bury said that limited resources need to be focused where they will provide the greatest benefit.

“The midwifery team is small and it was simply not sustainable or safe in the long term to provide the kind of on-call cover needed to support homebirths,” she said.

“We have to focus our limited resources where they are of greatest benefit to the significant majority of women who choose to give birth on Loveridge Ward.

“Nevertheless, we are very sorry for the impact this will have on expectant parents who had their hearts set on giving birth at home.”

Pictured: A birthing pool service is available on Loveridge Ward.

Midwifery and Paediatrics Associate Director Annabel Nicholas said efforts were being made to make Loveridge Ward more “homely”.

“We have tried really hard in recent years to improve the delivery suite area on Loveridge Ward so that it feels more homely - for example, delivery rooms have been refurbished and birthing pools are available,” she said.

“While we wish we were still able to offer a midwife-supported homebirth service, the maternity team is passionate about being able to offer choice in birthing environments and expectant parents should be reassured that every effort will be made to meet their wishes in the hospital environment.

“We continue to work hard to develop and improve services that are personal and based on the needs and wishes of women and their families in the Bailiwick.”