Doctors at remote Devon hospital get ‘crash course’ after maternity unit shut

<p>Staff at North Devon district hospital given training in difficult births in case mothers-to-be cannot get to Exeter</p><p>Doctors at one of England’s remotest hospitals have been given a “crash course” in birth emergencies after its maternity unit was shut and as fears grow that the safety of women and babies may be put at risk.</p><p>From Tuesday, the maternity service at North Devon district hospital (NDDH) in Barnstaple has been <a href="https://www.royaldevon.nhs.uk/maternity-and-obstetrics/nddh-birth-services-temporary-changes">suspended indefinitely</a> owing to staff shortages, leaving many pregnant women facing a journey of at least an hour and a half when they go into labour.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/11/north-devon-district-hospital-crash-course-maternity-unit">Continue reading...</a>