Maternity services to be restored by September

Macclesfield District General Hospital chiefs hope to be able to restore maternity and neonatal services by September this year.

All births were suspended at the hospital, in March 2020, owing to pressures on the intensive care unit (ICU) as coronavirus admissions rocketed.

The ICU was divided to treat patients testing positive and negative for the virus – which created staff shortages in the emergency maternity theatre.

East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is now planning a £2 million upgrade to the ICU – enabling both Covid and non-Covid patients to be treated.

It is hoped the upgrade will be completed by September – allowing the return of the maternity services at Macclesfield Hospital.

For many, living beyond the town, Macclesfield is the closest option for birthing and neonatal services – the other options either  Stepping Hill in Hazel Grove or Stoke Royal.

John Wilbraham, East Cheshire NHS Trust Chief Executive, said: “It has always been the board’s intention to return maternity services as soon as we can safely do so but none of us could have predicted the longevity of Covid-19 and the impact it has had on other services.”

“We are taking every step possible to keep patients and staff safe whilst working to achieve the return of our full maternity service by September 2021.”