Rise in NHS birth centre closures ‘shocking’ denial of women’s rights, experts say

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Twelve midwife-led birth centres in England have closed since 2019, including six since Labour took office in 2024. Campaigners and experts argue that the closures restrict women’s choice of maternity care and access to midwife-led births.

Twelve midwife-led maternity units have closed in England since 2019 with six closing since Labour came to power in 2024 NHS officials are shutting growing numbers of birth centres in a “shocking” denial of a woman’s right to have a midwife rather than a doctor oversee their baby’s birth, say campaigners. Twelve birth centres – midwife-led maternity units – have closed in England since 2019. Birth centres play a key role in ensuring that women can choose whether to have their baby at a unit in a hospital run by doctors, at one where midwives are in charge, or at home. Continue reading...