ST AUSTELL’s Penrice Birth Centre will be changing its opening hours from May 7 to 8am to 8pm.
The NHS blamed a lack of midwives and reduction in the number of people choosing to have their babies at Penrice for the nighttime closure.
A RCHT spokesperson said: “From May 7, Penrice Birth Centre will change its opening hours. It will be available as normal between 8am and 8pm and then on request for labouring women between 8pm and 8am who will then go home after delivery.
“We have made this change due to a reduction in the number of people choosing to have their baby in Penrice, a current shortage of community midwives and the desire to move resources to meet the growing demand for day time clinics and appointments.
“We have made the decision following discussion with the midwives at Penrice, the Royal College of Midwives and NHS Kernow. Penrice will now function like the birth centres in Helston and the Isles of Scilly with an equitable model of service provision across the region.”
MP for St Austell, Steve Double, is calling for the maternity unit to be brought back up to full operation as soon as possible and said the night closure would only put more pressure on Treliske.
Read More at: StAustellVoice (29th March 2017)