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

Staff at North Devon district hospital given training in difficult births in case mothers-to-be cannot get to Exeter

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.

From Tuesday, the maternity service at North Devon district hospital (NDDH) in Barnstaple has been suspended indefinitely owing to staff shortages, leaving many pregnant women facing a journey of at least an hour and a half when they go into labour.