After a year of consultation, the North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS England will meet on Tuesday (March 25) to consider proposals for maternity and neonatal services in North London.
The main recommendation is to close these services at the Royal Free Hospital.
Instead, maternity and neonatal services would be combined at four sites: Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, University College London Hospitals, and the Whittington Hospital.
All four hospitals would provide at least level two neonatal care – a higher level of care for babies born at 32 weeks gestation or older.
Another recommendation was to close the birthing suites at Edgware Birth Centre and expanding antenatal and postnatal care at Edgware Community Hospital.
A decision on these recommendations will be made by the ICB and NHS England.
The decision-making case, which is available on the ICB website, will provide further details, including evidence and data to support the final decision.
For women and pregnant individuals booked to give birth at the Royal Free Hospital or Edgware Birth Centre, there will be no immediate changes to care.
All services remain operational, and appointments should continue as normal.
Those considering either the Royal Free Hospital or Edgware Birth Centre for childbirth can also continue to make new bookings, as services remain unchanged for the time being.
The ICB had originally proposed reducing the number of maternity and neonatal hospitals in North Central London from five to four.
This plan would see University College London Hospital (UCLH), Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, and Whittington Health in Archway become the only facilities providing a range of birthing options, including a home birth service, a unit for premature and very ill babies, a consultant-led labour ward, and a midwife-led birth unit.
The Royal Free Hospital’s services would close.
Another recommendation was to consult on closing the birth suites at Edgware Birth Centre, due to its low usage.
In 2021/22, only 45 of the 20,000 births in North Central London took place at Edgware Birth Centre, and this number has been declining since 2017.
