‘Babies will be born in laybys’: maternity cuts leave women with stark choices in Devon
Expectant mothers in North Devon face significant risks as maternity services at the local district hospital are suspended due to staffing shortages. Women are now forced to travel over 90 minutes to reach the nearest unit, raising concerns about emergency births during transit.
Why it matters
This highlights the crisis in rural healthcare access and the potential life-threatening consequences of service cuts in public health infrastructure.
Expectant mothers in the region face having to travel for at least an hour and a half to give birth in a maternity unit. Expectant mothers in the region face having to travel for at least an hour and a half to give birth in a maternity unit. Hospitals ‘Babies will be born in laybys’: maternity cuts leave women with stark choices in Devon Concerns about feeling pressure to have caesarean section, or paying for hotel in Exeter after hospital in Barnstaple suspends birthing services
Steven Morris Mon 10 Aug 2026 00.00 EDT Last modified on Mon 10 Aug 2026 04.59 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google For mother-to-be Harriet Knight, the suspension of maternity services at one of England’s most remote hospitals means having to face horribly stark choices.
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