Press release – issued 27 July 2026
2026/010
Wye Valley NHS Trust’s home birth service re-opened
Wye Valley NHS Trust has re-opened its home birth service, today, Monday 27 July, for service users across Herefordshire, in line with national guidance.
While no safety concerns had been reported, the Trust put in place a temporary suspension earlier this year following a national request for NHS Trusts to review their home birth services.
Lucy Flanagan, chief nursing officer, at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “We are pleased to be able to safely reinstate our home birth service for service users from Monday 27 July. We would like to thank families for their patience, understanding, and continued support during this period. We have strengthened our home birth services further in line with national guidance, so that we can continue to support people in making informed choices about where they would like to give birth and the options available to them.”
Justine Jeffrey, director of midwifery at Wye Valley NHS Trust, added: “Our community midwifery team is delighted to see the service return and is looking forward to supporting families who choose to welcome their baby at home. We are proud to be able to offer personalised, safe, and compassionate care in the comfort of your own home.
“If you are considering a home birth or would like more information, please speak to your community midwife, who will be happy to discuss your individual circumstances, answer any questions, and support you in making the choice that is right for you. We look forward to welcoming families back to our home birth service."
Ends
Notes to Editors WVT:
- Wye Valley NHS Trust is a provider of health services across Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve.
- By working closely with our partners, we can make good our promise to deliver a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our families and our friends.
- With an estimated annual turnover of around £400 million, we employ around 4,000 staff. We aim to build new relationships between our staff, patients, service users and their carers with the wider community.
For further information please contact:
Fiona Gurney, communications officer, or John Burnett, Communication and Engagement Manager, Wye Valley NHS Trust: 01432 372928