First baby born at Bridgnorth maternity unit since full service resumed

He was born at the Bridgnorth midwife-led unit at 9.35am on Tuesday, weighing in at 8lbs.

His parents, Michaela Rawlings and Asa Perkins, of Bridgnorth, have praised staff at the unit.

Archer is the couple’s first child.

Michaela, 23, said: “The staff were great, they really did look after us all so well. Everything went as planned, and Archer is doing really well.”

Births and post natal care were temporarily suspended at Bridgnorth, Oswestry and Ludlow midwife-led units last year due to staff shortages.

Full in-patient maternity services were re-instated on January 1, including delivery suites and post natal care wards.

It followed a successful recruitment programme, and the introduction of new ways of working for the midwifery team.

However, plans to overhaul maternity services in the county are due to go out to public consultation.

Under the new proposals, women will no longer be able to give birth at three of the county's rural maternity units.

Instead women will be able to give birth at the consultant-led unit at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, at the hospital's neighbouring midwife-led unit at PRH, at a free-standing midwife-led unit at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or at home.

The new policy states that a community team will be available 24/7 for midwife led births in the midwife-led units and at home.

A series of maternity hubs would also be created to support women before and after birth.

The proposals have been signed off for public consultation by Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups.

However Telford & Wrekin CCG has suggested an amendment to the proposed model, which needs to be agreed by Shropshire CCG before a public consultation can finally go ahead.

Any woman who would like to give birth at Bridgnorth, Ludlow or Oswestry midwife-led unit is asked to contact her midwife to discuss this.