Home birth service paused in Jersey

The home birth service remains unavailable in Jersey whilst a review is held, the government has said.

The service was temporarily paused on 14 October and the government said it would resume once the review was completed and improvements had been made.

A total of 34 home births took place in 2023 and nine in 2024 - the service also saw a rise in 2022.

Director of midwifery Ros Bullen-Bell said the review was "standard practice" and looked at protocol, training and resources.

She said: "Although the home birth service is temporarily paused, while we conduct an internal review, we remain fully committed to reinstating it promptly once the review is completed and we have implemented any enhancements needed to further improve the service."

Ms Bullen-Bell said expectant parents would still be supported by its recently re-opened maternity unit to achieve "their desired birth experience".

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