MATERNITY services across the region are facing significant pressures due to high numbers of activity and staff having to self-isolate. This includes South Tees Hospital Foundation Trust (James Cook), North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trusts
Midwives are reassuring families that there may be changes to the service and in some cases expectant mums may need to be seen for care (including for birth) at a different hospital depending on capacity at the time of admission.
Stewart Findlay, Chief Officer, County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has said:
“Working with Trusts, we are continuing to provide a safe and high-quality maternity service to our mums and their babies. The impact of COVID and staff having to self-isolate alongside a high number of births at this time, is being felt across the healthcare system and we would ask that people be patient as we may need to make some changes to ensure that maternity services continue to be of the highest quality.
“This may mean that a very small number of expectant mums may need to either be seen or indeed give birth at a different hospital and I realise that this may unsettle them if it is not part of their existing birth plan.
I would ask that mums and their families please bear with us and be patient as we work closely together with our colleagues in other hospitals to ensure they have the safest maternity experience and in the meantime, please continue to attend for care at the unit you are booked for care at unless your midwife informs you differently.”