Message to families from Dr Mel Iles, Chief Medical Officer
Tuesday 13 May 2025
Dear expectant parents and their families
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.
What will change?
We have made a clinical assessment of our services and discussed our options with local NHS partners and our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership.
We have taken this decision because we cannot safely run the SCBU and inpatient maternity services at Yeovil Hospital. This means that from Monday 19 May, Yeovil Hospital will be unable to provide inpatient maternity care, including during labour and birth, and the emergency triage service.
What will happen next?
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.
Your choices for a place of birth during this time will be:
- Musgrove Park Hospital labour ward
- Bracken Birth Centre (Musgrove Park Hospital)
- Homebirth
- Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester
- Royal United Hospital in Bath
- Salisbury District Hospital
If you have any concerns about you or your baby, including any changes in your baby’s movements you should call or go to the emergency triage at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.
The Triage telephone number is 01823 343985 and is available
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What services are available?
The paediatric service (Ward 10 children and young people ward) will continue to run as normal, while the Special Care Baby Unit is temporarily closed.
During your pregnancy you will be able to access these antenatal services at Yeovil Hospital:
- Antenatal clinics
- Consultant clinics (doctor)
- Scanning
- Community midwife service
The homebirth service will continue as normal, but if you need hospital care you will be transferred to either Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester or Royal United Hospital in Bath. Our homebirth midwives will talk to you about this during your pregnancy and answer any questions that you have.
After your birth you will be provided with postnatal care at any maternity unit you attend and, in the community, as usual.
What do I need to do?
We know that this news may be difficult to hear, and you could be concerned about what this means for you and your family.
If you have any concerns or questions that you would like to ask, NHS Somerset have set up a helpline, by calling: 0300 303 6409, this will be available Monday-Friday between 8am-6pm.
You can also talk to your midwife, or share feedback with our Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) at any time.
We will continue to work hard to make improvements and will review these changes regularly. We will continue to keep you updated with information along the way.
Yours sincerely
Dr Mel Iles
Chief Medical Officer