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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Denis Campbell Health policy editor

Why are some NHS maternity units facing closure?

A white arrow-shaped road sign with a blue hospital symbol reads 'maternity' against a cloudy sky
Some smaller maternity units struggle to recruit enough doctors and midwives. Photograph: Clint Westwood/Alamy

The NHS needs to cut the number of hospitals providing maternity services in England to help keep patients safe, a health service leader who has run four different NHS trusts has said.

Speaking to the Guardian, Matthew Hopkins, the NHS Alliance’s lead director for acute care, recognised that such changes would be controversial and unpopular, mainly affecting hospitals in rural and coastal areas and forcing pregnant women to travel further to give birth.

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