More than 50 babies affected by maternity closure

More than 50 babies who should have been born in north Devon have been delivered in Exeter following the suspension of maternity services at Barnstaple, a hospital trust has said.

Maternity services at North Devon District Hospital were temporarily suspended on 11 August with mothers now having to travel more than an hour to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to give birth.

The Royal Devon NHS Trust said it had ensured staff and space were available to support women and their families at Exeter hospital.

Since then 54 north Devon babies have been born in Exeter, with one mother from Exmoor saying she had to leave extra early to ensure she got to hospital.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "Since the temporary suspension 54 babies that would have been born in north Devon have been born in Exeter without any babies being born before arrival at the maternity unit."

It said many staff who worked at north Devon would be coming to south Devon to work there instead.

Following a Royal Devon trust board meeting on Wednesday to review the progress towards reopening, it said it would be meeting again before a date could be confirmed.

The trust's medical director Dr Karen Davies resigned after the closure was announced and wrote in her resignation letter she could not support the way the trust had handled the maternity situation.

The trust said the decision to temporarily close the unit after looking at every option and the safety of woman and babies was its "overriding consideration".

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