The announcement of a six-month closure of the Yeovil Maternity Unit, including its Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), by the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has sparked calls for a critical incident declaration. Serving over 1,200 births annually, the unit’s temporary shutdown has forced expectant mothers to travel over 25 miles to the overcrowded Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, raising serious concerns among local families and healthcare advocates.
The closure followed a warning from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) citing failures to meet regulations on staffing and governance. Yeovil’s MP, Adam Dance, raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions, with Sir Keir Starmer promising to facilitate a meeting with relevant ministers to address the crisis. Adam Dance has also received numerous complaints from constituents regarding long-standing maternity service problems, including poor management and unsafe conditions.
In response, Dance has written to the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust seeking assurances that services will resume post-closure. He has launched a petition demanding a clear public timeline for reopening the unit and the declaration of a critical incident to ensure urgent support for affected families. The unit will close from 5 pm on Monday, with no specified reopening date, amplifying local anxiety.
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Residents now face increased travel to maternity services in Taunton, Bath, and Dorchester, imposing additional strain on both families and healthcare providers. The petition, gaining widespread local support, emphasizes the community’s demand for transparency and timely restoration of safe services.
Dance stated, “Families in Yeovil deserve more than vague promises; they deserve answers, action, and proper access to care. The closure at such short notice could have devastating consequences for expectant parents and vulnerable babies. We need immediate leadership to declare a critical incident and ensure no one suffers unnecessarily.”
Cllr Graham Oakes, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Public Health, acknowledged the gravity of the situation but expressed commitment to supporting the safe and swift reopening of the unit. He reaffirmed that vital services, including health visiting, smoking cessation for pregnant women, and children’s services, are prioritizing care during this period.
Dr. Melanie Iles, Chief Medical Officer at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, emphasized the difficulty of the decision. The closure resulted from high sickness levels among senior paediatric staff, leaving critical rota gaps that compromised safety in the maternity and SCBU services. While labour, birth, and newborn care at Yeovil cannot be safely maintained, outpatient antenatal services and home births will continue uninterrupted.
The trust is collaborating with the Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership and neighboring NHS trusts to ensure continuity of care. A helpline has been established for concerned patients at 0300 303 6409.
This temporary closure highlights urgent systemic challenges in maternity care within Somerset, prompting a united call from local leaders and the community for decisive action to protect the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies.
