Barnstaple’s North Devon District Hospital temporarily shuttered its birthing wing due to staff shortages, forcing expectant mums to make the gruelling nearly two-hour journey to Exeter13:20, 02 Sep 2026Updated 14:22, 02 Sep 2026Andy Burnham responds to Sir Ed Davey's question about closure of maternity unit in DevonAndy Burnham has committed to reopening a maternity ward in the south-west of England after its closure left women being offered classes on how to give birth in a car.‌Barnstaple’s North Devon District Hospital temporarily shuttered its birthing wing due to staff shortages, forcing expectant mums to make the nearly two-hour journey to Exeter.‌The new PM was asked about the crisis, revealed by the Mirror, with Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey urging him to commit to reopening the ward “in days”.‌Responding at PMQs, Mr Burnham said: “Let me give a direct answer. I will commit to reopening, but not within days, I don't think I am in a position to make that commitment today. I agree with him it's not acceptable for people living in the North Devon area to have to travel that far.“Let me take that away, and also say to him with honesty there are structural issues here affecting maternity services across the UK. This is not the only hospital where there have been difficulties. I am aware from my former time as Secretary of State for Health, that there have been longstanding shortages of midwives across the country, and I believe it is right that we look at all of those issues.‌“I can give him a guarantee that my right honorable friend, the Health Secretary, is looking at those issues, following the recent maternity reviews that we have had.The trust suspended all births, including c-sections, on August 11 due to a lack of consultants and obstetricians. Triage appointments - to check on mum and baby if any problems are suspected - have also been stopped.The Lib Dem leader had asked: “I can’t imagine the extra stress and anxiety that will have caused. Women are even being taught how to give birth in their cars. This should be unthinkable in our country. Will the PM commit to reopening the North Devon maternity unit in days, not weeks?”.‌Previously, Hannah Rulton, who is 27 weeks pregnant and lives in Ilfracombe, an hour-and-40-minute drive from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, told this newspaper she feared the worst after she and her son narrowly cheated death during her last labour.She said: “We are petrified. My son was born with shoulder dystocia - which caused his shoulder to get stuck on my pelvic bone - and it took five minutes to resuscitate him. We both nearly died. Our worry is that this next baby will follow in that pattern as the risk of shoulder dystocia is high.‌“If I go into spontaneous labour, which is likely, we’ll be in a car for at least an hour and 40 minutes on our own without any help or intervention that we might need if it does happen on the side of the road. My anxiety is so high at a time when it should be really enjoyable. This special time is being distorted because I’m constantly worrying and thinking, ‘what if the worst happens?’"It’s a similar story for Vicky O’Loughlin, 34, who is due to give birth in October. Holding back tears, she told us: “When I first learned of the closure I was really shocked and upset. My family are all from here [Barnstaple] and I was born here. I’m really stressed."I have issues with my immune system which I’ve heard can put you at risk of preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication that causes high blood pressure and organ damage) – so nearer to the time you just don’t know what’s going to happen. They’ve [hospital staff] given me leaflets and a bit of advice from the midwife, but that’s all. We don’t have anywhere to go and we can’t afford accommodation in Exeter.”‌Others who gave birth in Barnstaple last year have also been shaken by the closure. First-time-mum Cherri Taylor fears for women who face complications during labour, after her tot Albie came out with the umbilical cord wrapped around his head.“I dread to think if we were going to Exeter and that happened on the roadside. It’s something you don’t want to think about,” the 30-year-old said. "It would have been absolutely horrendous and really scary – I can’t think of anything worse.”‌Her friend Lauren Baker, 27, who gave birth to little one Paisley nine months ago, added: “I was induced and in hospital for a week, but thankfully we lived just fifteen minutes from the hospital. But if you’re in Exeter your partner has to travel over an hour, so you may be on your own when you have your baby – because we all know what labour is like, it can just happen.“It means your pregnancy becomes pure anxiety. You’re anxious anyway but it’s extra stress that you don’t need. You’re having to think about blankets and fuel when you should just be thinking about giving birth to the most precious thing in your life.”‌Speaking after the PM's comments, the areas Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, claimed the crisis should "never have happened".He said: "Pregnant women have been left anxious and abandoned, with more than 56 births already redirected to Exeter, some forced to endure journeys of up to 2 hours while in labour. This is not an acceptable standard of maternity care."Over 15,000 people have backed our campaign to save North Devon’s maternity services. We won the battle to reopen it, but with weeks to wait, the Health Secretary needs to step in personally to prevent future closures and keep women and babies safe.”‌Last week hundreds of expectant mums took to the streets of Barnstaple calling for the unit to reopen. And just days later, the trust’s medical director Dr Karen Davies resigned in protest over the situation, saying bosses "could have produced a plan to avoid closure.”Last week a top NHS expert warned England is facing a maternity care crisis, with more units facing closure.Matthew Hopkins, The NHS Alliance’s acute and ambulance director, said some hospitals would face difficulties to provide the required level of obstetric cover. And he predicted that maternity units which see fewer than 2,000 births per year would "struggle" to survive because of a recruitment crisis.Article continues belowLast month hundreds of expectant mums took to the streets of Barnstaple calling for the unit to reopen, and just days later, the trust’s medical director Dr Karen Davies resigned in protest, saying bosses "could have produced a plan to avoid closure.”