Health board extends engagement on Melton baby unit following local feedback
A public engagement on the pause in services at Melton Mowbray’s baby unit has been extended ‘as a result of local feedback’, the local health authority announced this afternoon (Tuesday).
Births and post-natal maternity services were paused at St Mary’s Birth Centre for six months from July 2025 and they remained suspended after that period elapsed last month.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) instead launched a consultation exercise last month in a bid to understand the impact of the current pause at the centre and support planning for the future of maternity services.
And the ICB announced today: “Following feedback the engagement process has now been widened so more people can take part and an additional two focus groups have been arranged for people to attend.”
The ICB still wants to hear from people who were planning or considering giving birth at St Mary’s Birth Centre between July 2025 and September 2026 but were (or are) unable to do so because of the pause.
They also seek feedback from family members or carers of these individuals, staff who worked at the birth centre before the pause in service, plus staff and students working in the maternity services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
In addition to this, the ICB now also wants to hear from those who used the centre between January 2021 and July 2025.
A further two focus groups have been arranged.
The first – online on Thursday February 5, 6.30pm to 8pm – is for patients (or partners/family/carers) who planned on or considered using St Mary's between July 2025 and September 2026:
The other one – also online, on Wednesday February 11, 6pm to 7.30pm – is for patients (or partners/family/carers) who used St Mary’s between January 2021 and July 2025.
Go to www.bit.ly/smbc-impact to complete the questionnaire, until the Sunday February 15 deadline, and to book a place on one of the new focus groups.
The ICB says services at the birth centre are no longer cost-effective due to a very low number of births, staffing issues and more women having complex needs which cannot be treated there.
These points are disputed by campaigners including Save St Mary’s Birth Centre, which last year organised a rally supported by hundreds of local people.