North Devon Hospital Suspends Maternity Services Over Staffing Shortages

North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple will temporarily suspend its maternity unit from 11 August 2026 because of insufficient medical staffing. The Royal Devon University Hospital Foundation Trust said a review showed the hospital could not safely deliver births, with consultants retiring or on sick leave and the service relying heavily on locum cover.

The unit, which handles about 12,000 births a year and serves a large rural and coastal population, will be closed until the trust can recruit and stabilise its workforce. Expectant mothers have been contacted to discuss alternative birth plans; many will need to travel over an hour and a half to the next nearest hospital in Exeter. Local MP Ian Roome warned the closure could cause life‑threatening delays and called for a national response to provision doctors. Chief Medical Officer Vanessa Purday said the trust is working to reopen the unit as quickly as possible and will provide support and information to affected families.