Advice for our service users and families at Yeovil Hospital from Monday 19 May

Following the announcement we made earlier this week, we wanted to let you know about some important changes that will be happening within the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and inpatient maternity services at Yeovil Hospital (YDH).

We have had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close our Special Care Baby Unit at Yeovil Hospital from 5pm on Monday 19th May 2025, which means we are also unable to safely provide care during labour and birth at the Yeovil Maternity Unit for an initial period of six months.

Why is this happening?

In January 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected our acute paediatric service (care of children and young people) and issued a safety warning notice because we need to make significant improvements.

In addition, we currently have high levels of sickness amongst senior paediatricians (doctors specialising in children’s care) at YDH which has caused big gaps in our medical rota.

Senior paediatricians from Musgrove Park Hospital are supporting the service at YDH, to ensure that paediatric inpatient and outpatient services at YDH are open for those who need them. However, we are not able to support the SCBU in the same way and therefore we must close it temporarily on safety grounds.

This directly impacts on the YDH inpatient maternity service because we cannot care for any newborns who require care in a Special Care Baby Unit or safely provide care during labour and birth at the Yeovil Maternity Unit.

What will change on Monday 19 May?

From Monday 19 May at 5pm, the temporary closure of the Special Care Baby Unit and changes to inpatient maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will take effect.

Communications with service users

Since the announcement earlier this week, our midwifery team have contacted all women and birthing people who have registered their care with us, to discuss what the changes mean for them and their choices for maternity care.

We have listened to your feedback and the questions you have raised, to develop more information and guidance for you and your family as detailed below.

Updated guidance:

Care that will remain in Yeovil District Hospital (YDH):

All of your care during pregnancy including antenatal clinic appointments and scanning will continue as normal in the YDH maternity unit.

All pregnancy care with your community midwives will continue as normal.

Your community midwife will continue to provide your antenatal (pregnancy) and postnatal (after birth) care in the community.

If you would like to move all of your care to one of our neighbouring maternity units, you can do this and the midwives and doctors at your chosen hospital will provide your care.

You can self-refer for care in a neighbouring hospital unit at any point in your pregnancy. See How to book care at a neighbouring unit below for how to do this.

Care that will move to Musgrove Park Hospital (MPH):

• Maternity Triage
• All labour and birth care including Induction of Labour
• Planned (Elective) Caesarean Sections
• Inpatient (staying in the hospital) antenatal and postnatal care will move to Musgrove Park Hospital.

What to expect in Musgrove Park Hospital:

We have worked hard to make the changes to our maternity and neonatal services at Musgrove Park Hospital to support us with extra space including triage, additional antenatal and postnatal beds, and a dedicated Transitional Care area to support women and birthing people to stay with their babies if they require special care.

We have moved our Antenatal clinic and scanning services into the Parkside building at the other side of Musgrove Park Hospital. If you are due to attend an appointment in our clinic, there will be signs and directions to help you find the new location. There will also be someone on the maternity reception desk to help you.

A map of the hospital site is available here:

Our Maternity Triage service is open 24 hours 7 days per week.

If you have any concerns about you or your baby, including a change in your baby's movements, please telephone 01823 343985

If you are unable to call the triage helpline, please go to maternity triage at Musgrove Park Hospital (this is only in an emergency if you do not have access to a phone or if English isn’t your first language)

Birth place choices:

During your pregnancy you will be provided with all the information you need to make an informed decision about your choice of place for birth, based on your individual needs, our clinical guidance and what matters to you.

If you would like to continue your care with us, your community care will be delivered by our community midwives, and you will be offered the following choices of place of your birth:

• Home Birth
• Bracken Birthing Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital
• Musgrove Park Hospital labour ward

Home Births:

Our Home Birth service remains OPEN. If you have already booked for a Home Birth your midwife will be in touch to talk to you about the changes to our hospital services and discuss your choices with you.

If you would like to book for a home birth, please let your midwife know and they will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about your choice based on your individual needs, our clinical guidance and what matters to you.

It is important to know that if there is an emergency during your home birth and you require hospital care, you and or your baby will be taken to the nearest and most appropriate hospital for the care you and or your baby needs. If you wish to attend hospital for pain relief, you can attend one of our neighbouring maternity units in Taunton, Dorchester, Bath and Salisbury. When you make a choice to have a home birth the travel distance and ambulance response times should be considered.

We are working closely with our colleagues in the South West Ambulance Service who are fully informed of the situation.

Mary Stanley birth centre:

Mary Stanley birth centre is currently not open for births but will continue to provide antenatal and postnatal community care. We will be reviewing all of our options to enhance community care and if it is safe to provide any additional midwife led birth care in Somerset.

What support is in place for maternity colleagues?

We know that this decision has been very difficult for both our service users and our maternity colleagues.

We are working closely to support the hard working and dedicated teams who have been affected by this temporary change and exploring what these changes may mean for them.

Our staff are dedicated to providing you with safe and personalised care and they are working hard and supporting each other. Please be patient and kind to our teams during this time.

Travel and additional cost:

We understand that these changes will affect everyone differently and you may understandably be worried about the additional cost to travel to a hospital outside of the Yeovil area.

Information about transport and travelling to hospital appointments can be found here: https://nhssomerset.nhs.uk/my-health/my-local-health-services/patient-transport/

There is also a South Somerset local community transport service:

https://www.communitytransport.org.uk/our-services/community-cars

It is important to us that you are able to get help in an emergency or to attend triage if you are worried about you or your baby, including any changes in your baby’s movements. Please let us know when you call triage if you have no way of getting to the hospital.

Visiting a new hospital before you give birth:

Visiting a hospital’s maternity unit before you give birth will depending on their local policy. You may find it useful (if you are able) to drive to the hospital to get to know the route, where to park and where the entrance to the maternity building is before you give birth. Some of the maternity units will have information and videos on their websites and or social media which may help with getting to know that unit.

How to book for care at a neighbouring unit:

We are working closely with our partner hospital maternity and neonatal teams, who have capacity to support your needs and are ready to welcome you if you choose to register your care with them.

If you would like to have your care in one of our neighbouring maternity units, you can contact them using the website and triage telephone lines below:

Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester:

You can book your maternity care via the Dorset Maternity Matters website:

Maternity Matters Dorset – Bumps and Beyond

Maternity Service | Dorset County Hospital

If you think you are in labour or have urgent concerns, call: 0300 369 0388

Royal United Hospital Bath:

Badger Notes - Self-refer your pregnancy to RUH Maternity

Or call:01225 826454

Select the right option for you. These options are given during the call, but the following provides an overview:

Salisbury District Hospital:

Information on maternity services can be found on the website.

Triage: 01722 425185

If you are over 20 weeks and wanting to transfer your care, please call the triage line.

Community midwifery services

All community midwifery services run through Musgrove Park Hospital remain unaffected. Please attend and community midwifery appointments as normal.

Where can I get more information or support?

• For general questions and queries you can call the NHS Somerset helpline: 0300 303 6409, open Monday – Friday 8am - 6pm.
• For questions or concerns about your care, please speak to your community midwife.
• If you have any concerns about you or your baby, including any changes in your baby’s movements you should call the emergency triage telephone number: 01823 343985 and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• For non-urgent advice, you can contact the Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices helpline at 0300 303 6409, which is available Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. 
• You can also share feedback with Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voice through their website.