A birthing centre in the city is to be closed until Christmas, expectant mums are being told by their midwives. Several women have contacted BristolLive to say they have been told Cossham birth centre is to temporarily shut for births due to staffing problems.
North Bristol Trust has said it is currently reviewing whether they need to take "temporary steps" at Cossham due to workforce challenges. The trust said their aim is to maintain a safe service for women during pregnancy and labour and that their focus has always been on resuming the full service as soon as possible.
Back in 2018, Cossham birth centre had to shut for several months due to a shortage of midwives and new Government rules. Back then, staff from Cossham birth centre were asked to work at Southmead's unit while the temporary closure was in place as, at that point, all calls to Cossham Birth Centre from women in labour were diverted to Southmead Hospital's midwife-led unit.
