Where can you have your baby in Gloucestershire?

Over the past two years, we have focused on strengthening our recruitment and retention, which has resulted in a positive increase in our midwifery and obstetrics staffing at the Trust. This has been achieved through our partnerships with a number of universities, as well as the determination of the staff across our maternity service. Many of the staff recently recruited are newly qualified and will need a significant period of further training and ongoing supervision. However, we can already see the positive impact today for mums and families, which is evidenced in the latest national maternity survey results.

Locally, we are in the process of reviewing the maternity services we deliver in Gloucestershire, including midwife-led maternity services due to a number of factors that are influencing the provision of care. A Health Needs Assessment for maternity services in Gloucestershire is underway, led by the Integrated Care Board (ICB). This will help to inform the future shape of maternity care across the county.

The needs assessment, which will include insights from families and staff, is expected to be completed later this year and will be considered alongside any recommendations coming from the national review of maternity and neonatal care announced in June 2025. Any decisions on the current temporary service changes can only take place once these two activities have been completed. Our collective goal is to ensure every family receives safe, responsive, and compassionate care, reflecting the needs of local communities.

1:1 care and current service provision

We know how important it is for you to feel supported, safe, and compassionately cared for during labour. National standards recommend that everyone in established labour receives one-to-one care from a midwife. This level of support is essential in helping you feel supported and well cared for throughout your birth experience.

To maintain this standard of care, we have had to make some temporary changes to our service. Whilst there is a national shortage of midwives, these changes are necessary to ensure that every woman and birthing person receives the personalised, one-to-one support they deserve. We want to reassure you that your wellbeing and safety remains our top priority.

Below, we’ve shared the temporary changes we have made to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, safe maternity care:

• Temporary closure of Cheltenham’s Aveta Birth Unit for birth.
• Temporary closure of six postnatal beds at Stroud Maternity Unit.
• Temporary closure of home births

Current services and options available

Cheltenham (Aveta) Birth Centre, Cheltenham General Hospital

The Cheltenham Birth Centre is temporarily closed to labour and birth but open for antenatal (pregnancy) appointments.

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Maternity Services

All services at the Gloucester Birth Unit and the Central Delivery Suite, both in the Women’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH), are unaffected by these temporary changes.

Stroud Maternity

• Stroud Maternity Unit is open for birth as well as antenatal (pregnancy) care.
• Postnatal care continues to be available for 12 hours after birth, then you will be discharged home. If you or your baby needs ongoing postnatal support this will be provided on the Maternity Ward at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
• Drop-in service at Stroud Maternity offering feeding support/bathing/general support
• Signposting to community support services in the Stroud area
• The community midwifery service in Stroud remains unchanged. You will be offered home visits or the opportunity to attend a postnatal (after birth) clinic run by midwives.
• Breastfeeding support is available at the Unit.

Home births

The Trust has taken the decision to suspend home births for two weeks, following safety concerns raised by our staff. You can find out more on our update page.

Your feedback is important to us

We understand that these changes may cause disappointment and could affect your choices, it is important to us that we know and understand how you feel about this. If you have any questions or need any support, please talk to your midwife or contact our hospital patient advice and support (PALS) team.

If you would like to share feedback about any part of your care or have ideas about how we can make changes, you can contact Gloucestershire Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP).

If you’d like to speak to other parents, you can do so via the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership on Facebook or instagram where key messages and information is shared, in collaboration with Gloucestershire maternity services.

We will continue to work with our MNVP, services users and local organisations to ensure that the voices of our community are heard and considered in all that we do.

If you are pregnant and need to get in contact with us please see our maternity contact details.

Find out more about where you can have your baby in Gloucestershire

Would you like us to communicate with you in a language other than English?

If English is not your first language, we can provide interpreters to support you.

Interpreters: Please speak to the staff in the ward or department you are visiting when you arrive. They can arrange for an interpreter to help you. Alternatively please contact us for further advice.

Translation: You can translate health information on this website using an online translator. Although online translators can accurately translate individual words and phrases, they may not always be able to interpret the meaning of larger or more complex pieces of information.

What is I have further questions?

Please contact us.