Understanding the impact of the pause in services at St Mary's Birth Centre

We would like to understand how people have been impacted by the pause in service at St Mary’s Birth Centre, Melton, since July 2025.

Your feedback will help us shape the best way forward.

We want to hear from:

Those who were planning or considering giving birth at St Mary’s Birth Centre between July 2025 and September 2026 but were (or are) unable to do so because of the pause
Family members or carers of these individuals
Staff who worked at St Mary’s Birth Centre before the pause in service
Staff and students working in the maternity services at LLR

On this page, we have set out proposals for the future of St Mary’s Birth Centre. You can also read the full stakeholder briefing.

Background

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) are setting out proposals for the future of St Mary’s Birth Centre following the temporary pause in July. The pause was introduced after birth numbers fell to fewer than two a week and staffing the service safely became increasingly difficult.

In 2021, following the Building Better Hospitals for the Future public consultation, it was agreed that births at St Mary’s should move to a new standalone midwifery-led unit at Leicester General Hospital as part of the national New Hospitals Programme. That decision still stands but national changes to the New Hospitals Programme have delayed the construction of the new maternity hospital planned for the Leicester Royal Infirmary. As a result, maternity services have not moved from the Leicester General Hospital (LGH) to the Leicester Royal Infirmary as originally intended.

Current position

There is no capital funding currently available for a new standalone midwifery-led unit, and national policy emphasises evidence-based, resource-efficient models of care. At the same time, birth numbers at St Mary’s Birth Centre have dropped further and staffing challenges continue. As a result, the plan is to enact the outcome of the 2021 consultation as far as possible. This means relocating births to the existing midwifery-led unit at Leicester General Hospital, while maintaining other community services in Melton, including antenatal and postnatal clinics, home visits, and infant feeding support.

Before we move forward, to understand what the pause at St Mary’s Birth Centre has meant for women, their families and colleagues who were directly affected. These experiences will make sure the next steps are clear, fair, and informed by those most impacted.

We are sorry the work is extending beyond the originally indicated six months pause but we hope you appreciate the importance of ensuring all perspectives are considered before arriving at a final long-term decision.

What happens next?

Over the next few weeks the ICB team will be engaging with those who have been affected by the pause.

The insights gathered will help us understand the impact and shape how we move forward. Working with partners and the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), the ICB will be contacting people directly to attend the focus groups over the coming weeks.

Feedback will be independently analysed and evaluated, and a Report of Findings produced and published. The information will be used to inform the recommendation which will go to the LLR Integrated Care Board in the early part of 2026.

Have your say

We want to hear from:

Those who were planning or considering giving birth at St Mary’s Birth Centre between July 2025 and September 2026 but were (or are) unable to do so because of the pause
Family members or carers of these individuals
Staff who worked at St Mary’s Birth Centre prior to the pause in services
Staff and students working in the maternity services at LLR

The purpose of this engagement is to hear from people who are directly impacted by the pause in service. The Building Better Hospitals public consultation in 2021 provided the wider public with the opportunity to comment on changes to St Mary’s Birth Centre, therefore, we are not currently seeking further views from the wider public.

Questionnaire

If you meet the above criteria, you are invited to complete a questionnaire, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes. All responses are anonymous. The deadline to complete a questionnaire is 11pm on Sunday 1 February 2026. All postal entries must be received by this date.

Focus (discussion) groups

The ICB will be inviting those who were planning on giving birth at St Mary’s before being notified of the pause in services, and staff who worked at St Mary’s prior to the pause in service, to attend focus groups. You should soon receive an email or letter inviting you to share your views. Alternatively, you can get in touch using the contact details at the end of this section.

For those who planned to give birth at St Mary’s (i.e. were formally booked to give birth at St Mary’s and received a letter about the pause), the focus groups will be held on:

Tuesday 20 January, 1 – 3pm, in Melton
Tuesday 27 January, 10am – 12pm, in Leicester

For staff who worked at St Mary’s prior to the pause in service, the focus group will be held on:

Tuesday 20 January, 9.30 – 11.30am, Melton

In addition to this, we will also be running a focus group on 27 January in Leicester for those who considered giving birth at St Mary’s between July 2025 and September 2026, such as those who are currently pregnant or have recently given birth. If this applies to you, please register in advance.

If you have any questions or would like to get in touch about taking part in the focus groups, please email: llricb-llr.beinvolved@nhs.net

Contact details

If you have any questions or would like to request the the questionnaire or information in a different format, such as large print or another language, please contact us using the details below:

Email llricb-llr.beinvolved@nhs.net
Call 0116 295 7532
Write to: Freepost Plus RUEE–ZAUY–BXEG, SMBC Engagement, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, Room G30, Pen Lloyd Building, Leicestershire County Council, Leicester Road, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8TB