Up to 20 maternity units in England may have to shut, NHS leader warns

Matthew Hopkins, the NHS Alliance director for acute care, warns that up to 20 maternity units in England may close to ensure safe care for mothers and babies. This centralisation is deemed inevitable due to doctor shortages and rising caesarean section rates. Units delivering fewer than 2,000 babies annually are most at risk. While Hopkins believes this is the right move for safety, he anticipates a political backlash against these unpopular changes to childbirth services.