Home births at one of east London’s best-known maternity units have been put on hold, leaving at least ten expectant mothers scrambling to change their birth plans at short notice.
Homerton Hospital in Hackney says the pause follows a review of its home-birth service and is expected to last until Friday 9 October, “or earlier if possible”. The trust insists the service is not closing permanently.
“The safety and quality of care that women receive while using our maternity services is always our highest priority,” the hospital said in a statement. “With this in mind, we have temporarily paused our home-birth service for a short period following a review.” The move comes as patient-safety scrutiny of NHS services continues to intensify across the country.
A spokesperson told the BBC that the review covers the “procedure and documentation” behind home births, and stressed that the decision was not driven by staff shortages. The unit has a long-standing team of around six midwives dedicated to home births, offering continuity of care through pregnancy, labour and the days after birth.
Mothers told to change plans
For women in the final weeks of pregnancy, the news landed hard. At least ten had already booked home births that have now been cancelled, and some only learned of the decision through social media.
Olivia Wilson, who is due to give birth under Homerton’s care in November, said she found out on Instagram. “I’ve had no contact from anybody in the maternity service,” she said. “I found out on Instagram and I found that unsettling.”
Wilson, who has had two previous home births, was full of praise for the team even as she worried about what comes next. “I could not recommend them more highly, the care I’ve received has been above and beyond, it’s been amazing,” she said. “The service I’ve experienced is something everyone should have access to and protecting that is of vital importance.”
She joined scores of protesters outside the hospital on Tuesday morning to demand the service restart immediately.
The trust has apologised and offered affected women a “home from home birth” in one of the birthing suites in its Birth Centre, with the home-birth midwives continuing to provide care through pregnancy and after the baby arrives.
“We recognise the significant impact this short pause will have on the women planning for a home birth, particularly at this late stage of pregnancy,” the hospital said.
A legal warning over birth rights
The charity Birthrights, which campaigns for respectful maternity care, said hospitals cannot simply switch off the option without proper justification.
“People have a human right to choose their place of birth; nobody can force a woman or birthing person into a hospital, and public bodies have a duty to support those choices,” said Laura Mullarkey, the charity’s legal lead.
“There are situations where restrictions can be put on human rights but only where that restriction is lawful, has a legitimate aim and where it is proportionate, and we don’t think that’s what’s happened here.”
Why the review is happening
The pause comes against a difficult national backdrop for home-birth provision. Last year, maternity units across England were ordered to examine the safety and quality of their home-birth services after a coroner’s report into the deaths of Jennifer Cahill and her baby daughter Agnes following a home birth overseen by North Manchester General Hospital in 2024. An inquest concluded the pair died because of neglect and failures in care.
Homerton’s numbers show home birth is a small but established part of its work. Between April and August this year, 2,388 babies were born under the hospital’s maternity service, 37 of them at home. Each home birth typically needs two midwives in attendance, which is one reason hospitals keep a dedicated team.
The unit was rated “good” at its most recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission in 2023.
Campaigners and mothers alike will be watching 9 October closely. Wilson’s plea was simple: a service she describes as exceptional should be protected, not quietly wound down.
