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Midwife-supported home births scrapped in Guernsey


Midwife-supported homebirths will not be re-introduced in Guernsey after their suspension due to coronavirus. The committee for health and social care explained it is difficult for a small team to accommodate the births.

It said that if the service was reinstated, it may impact deliveries on Loveridge Ward in Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

A spokesperson said they were "very sorry" to parents who wanted to give birth at home.

The committee said homebirths rely on a demanding on-call commitment from community midwives on top of their contracted hours.

To facilitate a birth at home, two of the five midwives are required to be on-call for 24 hours a day, for up to five weeks at a time.

Deputy Tina Bury, vice president of the committee for health and social care, said: "The midwifery team is small and it was simply not sustainable or safe in the long-term to provide the kind of on-call cover needed to support homebirths.

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Source: BBC News, 5 March 2022

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