A new chapter in maternity care offering women and family’s greater choice, personalised care, and access to enhanced birth settings across Darlington and Durham is being launched today.
From 5 May 2026 (International Day of the Midwife), Midwifery Led Units (MLUs) will officially open at both Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham maternity units, followed by the relaunch of a Home Birth Service in summer 2026.
The MLUs are designed for women and birthing people with low to medium risk pregnancies and provide a calm, supportive, midwife-led environment focused on physiological birth.
Women and birthing people will have access to facilities including birthing pools, mobility aids, and non-pharmacological pain relief options, supporting a more home-like experience while remaining alongside hospital-based obstetric care if needed.
The MLUs are co-located alongside obstetric services, ensuring rapid access to medical support should it be required.
Alongside this, work is underway to safely reintroduce the Home Birth Service in summer 2026, which was previously paused in 2021 due to workforce and safety considerations.
The service restart has been carefully planned, with strengthened staffing arrangements, targeted recruitment, and a dedicated training programme for midwives.
A ring-fenced workforce will support the service, ensuring safe and consistent care for families choosing to give birth at home.
Kim Williams, Director of Midwifery at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are pleased to be soon relaunching the home birth service at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
“We recognise that the pause to this service since late 2021 has been frustrating and disappointing for some women and families. It was not a decision that was taken lightly.
“The temporary pause was necessary to ensure we could maintain safe staffing levels across our maternity services and continue to provide safe, high-quality care for everyone in our care. We have always been clear that any decision to pause or reinstate services must be led by safety.
“We understand how important choice is when planning where to give birth. The relaunch of our home birth service is an important step in restoring that choice, alongside our wider maternity offer.
“We would like to thank families for their patience and understanding while this service has been paused. Our priority remains ensuring that every woman and baby receives safe, personalised care, in the setting that is right for them.”
Women and birthing people who choose a home birth will receive personalised care planning from early pregnancy, including a home assessment between 34–36 weeks and delivery of essential equipment ahead of birth.
During the initial phase, care will be shared between the home birth team and community midwives to ensure safe continuity of care.
Women and birthing people are encouraged to speak to their midwife early in pregnancy to explore the options available to them.
