The Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee of Devon County Council met on Monday 17 August 2026 to discuss the temporary suspension of birth services at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH). The committee heard from members of the public, local councillors, and representatives from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Devon. The meeting concluded with the committee passing a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring the safe restoration of services, improving risk assessments, and learning from the circumstances that led to the suspension.

Suspension of Maternity Services at North Devon District Hospital

The primary focus of the meeting was the temporary suspension of birth services at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH), which came into effect on 11 August 2026. This decision was made by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust due to insufficient consultant and obstetric medical staffing to safely operate a 24-hour obstetric service. The suspension affects births only, with antenatal care, community midwifery services, and outpatient services continuing locally.

Numerous concerns were raised by councillors, public speakers, and the MP for North Devon, Ian Roome. Key issues included:

• Safety and Vulnerability: The significant impact on women, birthing people, and families, particularly those in rural or deprived areas, was a recurring theme. Speakers highlighted increased anxiety, reduced autonomy, and unacceptable risks due to longer travel times to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. The lack of reliable public transport, limited taxi availability, and poor mobile phone signal in rural areas were identified as major concerns.
• Chronology and Governance: Questions were raised about how the situation had been allowed to escalate to a crisis point, with concerns about the adequacy of business continuity plans, risk assessments, and the timeline of actions taken. Councillor Frank Biederman highlighted that workforce risks had been identified as far back as 2024 and 2025, with obstetric risk formally placed on the corporate risk register in November 2025. Councillor Robin Julian expressed disappointment that the issue had not been addressed at a higher board level sooner.
• Staffing and Recruitment: The national shortage of obstetric consultants and registrars was acknowledged as a significant factor. The Trust detailed their recruitment efforts over the past year, including multiple advertising rounds and the use of locum staff, but noted that several candidates had withdrawn or accepted posts elsewhere. The fragility of the rota, which could be significantly impacted by short-notice absences such as bereavement or a locum withdrawing their service, was a key reason for the suspension.
• Impact on Families: The logistical and financial burdens on families were a major concern. This included the cost of travel and accommodation for journeys to Exeter, the need for childcare for other siblings, and the impact on parents' ability to work. The provision of prepaid taxi cards was discussed, with clarification that these would not be means-tested.
• Accountability and Transparency: Speakers called for clear accountability for the situation and greater transparency from the NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). Concerns were raised about discussions regarding maternity services taking place in private board meetings.
• Future Services: There was a strong desire to understand the precise staffing requirements for reopening the unit and a clear, time-bound plan for restoration. The potential impact on other services in North Devon and the need for a more equitable distribution of healthcare resources across Devon were also discussed.

Representatives from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Devon provided explanations and responded to questions. They acknowledged the gravity of the situation and the impact on the community, reiterating that the decision to suspend services was made on patient safety grounds. They detailed the mitigation measures put in place, including personalised birth plans, enhanced support for vulnerable families, and increased capacity at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Recruitment efforts were ongoing, with the aim of reopening the unit as soon as it was safe to do so, likely by the end of September 2026.

Committee Recommendations

Following extensive discussion, the committee passed a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the immediate crisis and ensuring future resilience:

• Urgent Restoration Plan: A request for Royal Devon and NHS Devon to publish a clear, time-bound plan for the safe restoration of birth services at NDDH, including workforce requirements, recruitment actions, milestones, risks, mitigation measures, lead responsibilities, reporting arrangements, and the role of partner agencies. Progress is to be reported publicly and at the next committee meeting.
• Improved Impact Assessment: A call for an urgent, multi-agency impact assessment to be undertaken and published, addressing the risks and issues raised by the public and committee members, and strengthening current mitigations.
• Lessons Learned Review: A comprehensive, multi-agency lessons learned review to be undertaken and published, examining the circumstances leading to the suspension, the actions taken, the roles of NHS Devon and Royal Devon, the experiences of women and families, and lessons for strengthening healthcare services in North Devon. An interim report is to be provided to the next committee meeting.
• Fragile Services Report: A report on the fragility of health services across Devon, with a specific focus on North Devon, and the actions being taken to support safe and sustainable services, including lessons learned from other rural areas.
• Letter to Secretary of State: The committee will write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in partnership with the Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Broadband, to express concerns about the suspension and urge national support for service restoration. The letter will also highlight the challenges faced by rural and coastal communities in Devon.
• Representation on ICB: The committee will write to the Chair of the Integrated Care Board (ICB), John Govett, to reiterate the request for chief executive and political representation from Devon's councils on the ICB, given the demonstrated vulnerability of services in North Devon.
• Future Scrutiny: The committee will schedule a follow-up meeting within approximately 28 days to review progress on the restoration plan, impact assessment, lessons learned review, and fragile services report.

The committee also noted the importance of capturing the experiences of women and families affected by the suspension, and will invite Healthwatch to the next meeting to assist with this. The committee will also seek to establish contact with other rural hospital trusts, such as West Cumberland Hospital, to learn from their experiences in managing similar services.