Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) has approved a decision to close two freestanding midwife-led units located at County Hospital in Stafford and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital in Lichfield.

Both units have been temporarily suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic with plans to reopen them halted due to 'workforce challenges'.

Board members were informed that the closures were in the best interests of mothers' and babies' safety.

In order for the units to be financially viable, around 30 births would need to take place each month.

Before the closure, only eight births a month took place at County Hospital and 18 at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital.

The board was informed that both the Royal Stoke and Queen's Hospital in Burton have sufficient capacity for low-level midwife-led births.

Locals have reacted to the closure via social media.

One person said: "I had my daughter in Stafford.

"The midwives were brilliant-something else we are having to go to Stoke for when we have a wonderful hospital at Stafford for the people of Stafford."

Another said: "As a member of staff that is still currently based at Samuel Johnson (community midwife), I'm disgusted that I've found this out via social media.

"We haven't had any communication on the decision at all.

"This really is a disastrous decision for women and families."

A third commented: "I live in Stafford and my first child was born 1.5 hours after my first contraction.

"I was in the hospital 25 minutes before he was born.

"If I had had to travel to Stoke I would have been giving birth in the car.

"Ideally, we need a unit in Stafford especially considering how much the town's population has grown."

Header image via Jonathan Hutchins on Geograph