The Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 19 October 2026 to discuss maternity and neonatal services, including the decision to permanently close freestanding midwifery birthing units. The committee also received updates on district and borough health scrutiny activities and reviewed the committee's work programme.

Maternity and Neonatal Services and Freestanding Midwifery Birthing Units

The committee received a report from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) regarding maternity and neonatal services. A significant decision made by the ICB's Board in Common on 24 September 2026 was to permanently close the birthing services at County Hospital, Stafford, and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, Lichfield. This decision followed a public consultation process, which indicated that the majority of respondents felt the closures would have a negative impact, with key themes including travel concerns, patient choice, and the impact on other hospitals.

Cath Marsland, Associate Director of Nursing and Quality for the ICB, explained that the decision was based on clinical risk, with the aim of ensuring safe and effective care. She highlighted that while travel concerns were acknowledged, the majority of antenatal and postnatal appointments would continue to be delivered within the community. The report also noted that changes to NICE guidelines for Anti-D immunoglobulin would reduce the number of women requiring this treatment.

Councillor Colin Greatorex expressed concerns about the consultation process, questioning the extent to which the views of the 1,400 respondents, who shared their experiences of local maternity care, were truly reflected in the decision-making. He argued that the experience of care at facilities like Samuel Johnson Hospital was more personable and comforting than at larger hospitals like Burton.

Michelle Woods, representing the ICB, acknowledged these concerns but emphasised that the decision was primarily driven by clinical risk and the need to balance this with financial considerations and the overall delivery of NHS services across the county. She also noted that the workforce in these units had expressed a preference for larger environments for better clinical supervision.

The discussion also touched upon national reviews such as the Amos, Ockenden, and Thirlwall reports, which have highlighted significant challenges in maternity and neonatal services across England, including issues of safety, leadership, and the need for improved governance. The ICB is working to ensure that local providers are incorporating the findings and recommendations from these reviews.

Concerns were raised about health inequalities, with evidence showing that women and babies from deprived communities and ethnic minority backgrounds experience poorer outcomes. The ICB is prioritising actions to improve equitable access, strengthen targeted prevention programmes, and enhance the use of population health intelligence.

The Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnership (MNVP) was highlighted as a crucial mechanism for ensuring service user feedback informs decision-making. However, challenges remain in engaging with underserved communities, and efforts are underway to proactively ensure champions represent these groups.

The committee also discussed the impact of these changes on travel for residents, particularly those in Stafford, and the availability of choice for women regarding their place of birth. While acknowledging that choice is limited by available services, the ICB stated that home births, midwife-led units, and obstetric-led births are still offered.

The committee requested that maternity services return to a future meeting with the provider trust to provide more detail on their progress against recommendations and national reviews.

District and Borough Health Scrutiny Activity

Updates were provided from various district and borough councils on their health scrutiny activities. Lichfield District Council reported on its scrutiny of healthcare provision in light of housing growth. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's Health and Wellbeing Group is reviewing local health inequalities, rural health issues, mental health, and the implications of the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Councillor Ann Edgeller highlighted an upcoming talk by the fire service for Stafford Borough's Community and Health and Wellbeing group, focusing on winter safety for the elderly, and suggested other districts consider similar initiatives.

Councillor Colin Greatorex noted that only two of the eight districts or boroughs were represented at the meeting and that the Chair would be writing to encourage greater participation. He also raised questions about a deposit return scheme being considered in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the safety and age of lifts in high-rise blocks in Tamworth.

The discussion around the deposit return scheme in Newcastle-under-Lyme revealed it to be a trial program for recycling, with some concerns raised about its effectiveness and potential to create more mess.

Work Programme

The committee received and approved its work programme for the upcoming period. This included noting the ICB's response to recommendations made in relation to winter planning. A site visit to West Midlands Ambulance Service had taken place on 16 October 2026, which was described as an excellent and informative experience.

Councillor Adam Griffiths shared a personal and moving account of a critical incident during childbirth at Royal Stoke University Hospital, expressing gratitude for the swift and expert response that saved his wife's life.

Councillor Neil Parton raised concerns about ambulance waiting times and the aggregation of statistics by county or control board, suggesting that an examination of waiting times per hospital location should be added to the work programme. Councillor Jill Hood echoed these concerns, highlighting the issue of ambulances being allocated parking spaces, which she felt encouraged queuing and led to crews being on duty for extended periods. Councillor Mike Broom also expressed concerns about the impact of these delays on patient safety.

The committee agreed to work with officers to investigate the challenges faced by ambulances and hospitals regarding handover times and patient flow. Councillor Brown suggested that the chief executive of the relevant hospital should also be invited to address the committee to answer questions regarding hospital capacity and patient flow.

The committee also noted a resident's query regarding a contract with Palantir Technologies for collecting patient data and requested further information.

The committee approved the work programme and noted the ICB's response to recommendations regarding winter planning.