Services preparing to welcome mothers, babies and families back to Yeovil District Hospital on 21 April
Colleagues are making final preparations to reopen inpatient maternity services and the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) at midday on Tuesday, 21 April.
Professor Deirdre Fowler, Chief Nurse and Chief Midwife at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very excited to welcome mothers, babies and families back to YDH in just two weeks’ time. Our maternity and paediatric colleagues are working hard to complete our final preparations and welcome you back to Yeovil.
“I want to thank everyone who is pulling out the stops to reopen our services and to Dorset County Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital who have cared for mothers, babies and families while services in Yeovil have been temporarily closed.
“Most of all I want to thank local families whose care has been transferred to Dorset County Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital while services at YDH have been temporarily closed. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust made the very difficult decision to temporarily close inpatient maternity services and the SCBU at YDH from 19 May 2025 due to concerns about the safety, quality and fragility of the paediatric service at YDH.
The trust has addressed these concerns by:
- Creating a Somerset-wide paediatric service to provide equitable services across the county with services provided at both YDH and Musgrove Park Hospital
- Recruiting five new paediatric consultants and ensuring senior experienced paediatricians are present at times of peak demand, including out of hours in the evenings and at weekends
- Recruiting neonatal nurses, a medical neonatal lead, midwives and leaders within the maternity service
- Creating a cross site clinical and managerial leadership structure to support the paediatric service to embed improvements and continuously improve in the future
- Providing simulation and rotational training to support colleagues to maintain their skills
- Strengthening governance processes
- Developing a framework for ongoing safety monitoring.
The trust has also made improvements to the maternity unit by installing new fire doors, improving security, redecorating the unit and reconfiguring some of the space.
Dr Melanie Iles, Chief Medical Officer for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We announced in October last year that we would reopen services on 21 April if essential safety criteria were in place. They are in place and we are therefore confident that we have the framework and processes in place to deliver a safe service.”
The trust has planned the reopening of services with the independent Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to ensure that service users’ input central to the plans. Midwives and obstetricians are having one-to-one conversations with service users about their choice of birthplace to ensure they have the information they need to make an informed choice about where to give birth after services have reopened at YDH.
Sally Bryant, Director of Midwifery for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are here to support service users, to listen to you, answer your questions, and address any concerns you may have. If you are currently pregnant or have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your community midwife. Our trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service and the independent Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership are also there to support you. We look forward to welcoming you back to our services at YDH.”
If you’re due to have your baby on or after 21 April 2026, you may be thinking about your options for place of birth and need information to make choices. Visit the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust website for more information and to read the updated frequently asked questions.
