Maternity services at North Devon district hospital in Barnstaple have been suspended indefinitely because of staff shortages.
Emergency department doctors received training over the summer to prepare for births, including complications such as shoulder dystocia, bleeding after delivery and neonatal collapse. The hospital is among the UK's most remote.
Other remote hospitals are expected to suspend maternity services as NHS trusts struggle to recruit enough staff to deliver babies safely. Up to 20 maternity units in England could close. Rising caesarean rates and years of unresolved concerns are adding to the pressures facing maternity care.
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