Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times each maternity unit has been temporarily closed due to insufficient staffing levels to operate safely in each of the last three years; and what the longest duration of such a temporary closure was for each maternity trust in each of those years.

We do not hold this data centrally. National Health Service commissioning bodies such as integrated care boards are responsible for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for local services. This makes sure that decisions are made locally and tailored to local population needs.

NHS England has undertaken urgent and targeted retention work to address midwifery shortages. NHS England has also invested in unit-based retention leads who focus on staff retention and provide pastoral support to midwives.