Future Of Andover Birthing Centre Decided

31 October 2011, 05:00 | Updated: 30 November 2011, 13:43

Health managers have decided what will happen at the Andover Birthing Centre, more than a year after some services were stopped.

Labour and delivery facilities at the centre have been suspended since September last year.

Winchester and Eastleigh NHS Trust met yesterday and decided to go with option three of the public consultation.

Which means, all midwife led births will take place at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, with a DOMINO service provided at the Andover Birthing Centre (ABC).

The DOMINO is a system where the woman is cared for by a community midwife throughout her pregnancy.

Once labour starts she is assessed and supported at home by one of the community midwifery team and when labour is advanced she is advised to go to the maternity unit where the midwife will meet her and deliver her baby.

After two to four hours the mother and baby are discharged back home providing all is well.

DOMINO is a more flexible system of midwife supported birthing that provides additional choice for women and is being increasingly widely implemented across the UK.

Heart's been told the new plans will have to go through another consultation in the new year, when Winchester and Eastleigh NHS Trust merge with Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust.