Today we attended a second meeting of Devon County Council's Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, alongside partners, regarding the temporary suspension of birthing services at North Devon District Hospital.

We welcome the Committee’s scrutiny and questions today, and would like to thank all the members of the public who came to share their views and experiences.

We fully recognise the fear and anxiety the temporary suspension continues to create for families in our community. Our number one priority is to reopen these services as soon as possible and we are conducting a reopening ‘readiness assessment’ every two weeks.

Today, we provided information about our reopening plans and the full range of additional clinical, travel and financial support in place to support women and families to access maternity care - including free taxi support. We also provided information about the impact of the temporary suspension and a review into our decision-making processes.

It was heartening to hear the commitment from our partners and the community to work collaboratively to secure the future of birthing services at North Devon District Hospital. A collective effort is needed to address healthcare challenges across Devon, with the voices of our community at its centre, and we will work to progress this at pace.

Vanessa Purday

Chief Medical Officer