A major shake-up of maternity care is proposing to stop women giving birth in Oswestry.

Health bosses today revealed their ‘improved model’ which would see the creation of a ‘hub’ in Oswestry that will offer a “broad range” of services such as antenatal and postnatal care from a midwife, scanning, fetal monitoring and day assessment.

However, births will only take place at the consultant-led unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, either midwife-led unit at Telford or Shrewsbury, or at home.

It comes following a review by the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), which included local workshops with parents.

Dr Jess Sokolov, Shropshire CCG’s Clinical Lead for the midwifery led services review, said: “We’ve listened to what local mums, staff and others with an interest in midwife led units think about the current midwifery led services and have directly used their ideas raised during the co- design workshops in pulling the proposed new service model together.

“One of the things mums told us is that having a baby was not just about a trip to a delivery room to give birth, but a whole journey that starts before getting pregnant and goes on long after the baby is born.

“The new model really responds to this by bringing together a whole range of services throughout pregnancy and beyond, which are flexible and accessible, regardless of where mums live in the county.”

The Oswestry ‘hub’ would also provide support with emotional wellbeing and mental health related to pregnancy and early parenthood would also be offered, as well as healthy lifestyle services.

It would be one of at least five with the others based at Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Telford, however there could be more. Currently, the towns including Oswestry have midwife-led units.

Alongside the hubs there would be a team of community midwives and women’s support assistants who would be available 24/7 to offer advice and support for women during pregnancy and after the baby is born.

Sarah Jamieson, Head of Midwifery at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), added: “I’m delighted the proposals from this review are now available to us.

“Over the last few months we have worked closely with our CCGs to enable a robust and complete review of our service as it stands today.

“We know that the needs and wishes of our population have changed over the years. This review has been responsive to those changes and presents us with some real and exciting opportunities.”

The proposed model was unveiled to mums, staff and others who took part in the engagement work to help shape the service earlier today.

It will then be presented to Shropshire CCG’s Governing Body to review and comment on in December, before going to Telford CCG’s Governing Body in January, and then it will go to public consultation.