In May 2025, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said it would pause intrapartum care – the period from the start of labour until delivery – at the University Hospital of Hartlepool’s Rowan Suite.
This suspension was only intended to be in place for three months but was later extended.
An expected resumption month has not occurred and it remains unclear when services will begin again.
A trust spokesperson said there were several reasons for the delay including “operational and governance processes” and “ongoing work around staffing arrangements”.
They said: “We are committed to developing a service that is safe, sustainable and of the highest quality for women and families.”
The spokesperson said people could give birth in any NHS trust they chose, with the nearest option to Hartlepool, including University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, which was 13 miles away, and Darlington Memorial Hospital, which was 28 miles away.
The pause in services was initially due to be in place for three months – however in October 2025 it was confirmed this had “been extended to January” following a “period of review”.
Then in February trust officials told a Hartlepool Borough Council meeting that births at the site should resume in June after staffing pressures had eased.
