Health chiefs have revealed birthing availability at the University Hospital of Hartlepool is to return from June 2026 following a “pause”.
The midwife-led maternity unit at the hospital, named the Rowan Suite, became fully operational in late 2020, taking bookings for women considered to be “low risk” – with 113 births having occurred to date.
Pause on the midwife-led maternity unit
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust bosses announced in May 2025 a pause in “intrapartum care” at the site – which is the period from the start of labour until the delivery of the baby – due to “staffing absences”.
The halt was initially due to be in place for three months however in October it was confirmed this had “been extended to January 2026” following a “period of review”.
Antenatal and postnatal care has continued as normal during this period, along with home births.
The latest meeting of Hartlepool’s health and wellbeing board heard staffing pressures have eased and the “birth availability option” at the Rowan Suite is due to return in June 2026.
Return of the midwife-led maternity unit
Stephanie Worn, director of midwifery at University Hospitals Tees, said: “We have seen improvements in the workforce pressures, so that’s in terms of vacancies, and sickness and absence returns.
“We do foresee that we’ll have a planned reopening of the Rowan Suite at the University Hospital of Hartlepool and that will be a phased adoption into June.”
She added this approach will ensure the “sustainability and stabilisation” of the service.
Phase one of the reopening plan will see return-to-work support, engagement and training taking place between January and April, followed by confirmation of the workforce model and governance approval in April and May.
Councillor Brenda Harrison, speaking at the meeting, said it was “very disappointing and upsetting” when the Rowan Suite temporarily closed and it is “great to see” it is going to be “back up and running again”.
However she stressed that she, and other councillors, want to see a full consultant-led maternity service provided at the hospital to allow more children to be born in Hartlepool.
Cllr Harrison said: “We do as a town and as a borough deserve a more robust maternity service.”
University Hospitals Tees representatives responded by noting there are now “a lot more complexities within maternity services” and national restrictions in place around safety, however they will pass on the comments to organisation chiefs.
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