THE LATEST delay in the reopening of the maternity centre at North Devon District Hospital has been condemned by local stakeholders.

Devon County Council and the MP for Torridge and Tavistock are among those to react with outrage to the news that the reopening will not take place when promised.

Bosses at the hospital have said they have not yet achieved sufficient staffing for it to reopen safely amid demands for the government to intervene.

A spokesperson for Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “Despite extensive efforts, an assessment of staffing levels and rota coverage confirmed we have been unable to meet the agreed staffing threshold needed to safely reopen services later this month.

“We remain fully committed to reopening birthing services at NDDH, but we will only do so when we can be confident the service is safe, sustainable and not at risk of closing again at short notice.

“We will undertake our next readiness assessment on Monday, September 28 and, if needed, every two weeks after that.

“The current temporary suspension remains in place. Women and birthing people should continue to follow their current personalised birth plans and continue to contact maternity triage on 01392 406616 early if they think they may be in labour or have urgent concerns.

Sir Geoffrey Cox KC, the MP for Torridge and Tavistock was critical, saying: “I am extremely disappointed to learn that despite the urgent representations made by so many people to the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and to the Government, the date set by the Trust to reopen the maternity unit at our hospital will be put back, apparently by several weeks. I have made it very clear to the Trust that both the suspension of services, and now the prolonged delay in its reopening, are letting down our communities with more than a hundred mothers redirected to Exeter from Barnstaple, many with a 1 1/2 hour drive or even more.

“Future planning must build in sufficient resilience to prevent such a suspension from ever happening again. I shall continue to be in constant contact with the Trust to press for services to be resumed.”

In a joint letter from Cllr Jess Bailey, the chair of Devon County Council’s health and adult scrutiny committee and Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, the cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, they demanded an urgent response to their questions.

They added: “We cannot overstate the seriousness of the situation. The continued suspension means women and families in North Devon face journeys of up to two hours in order to access birth services.”

Stressing the impact it is having on those it affects, they added: We request that you ensure a suitably senior representative with a national portfolio and appropriate authority attends this meeting (of the DCC Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee) to answer the committee’s questions regarding NHS England’s oversight of the suspension, the actions being taken to restore the service and the assurances obtained regarding the safety of the regarding the safety of the current arrangements.”