Pregnant Pembrokeshire women must phone Glangwili to contact on-call midwife after 5pm from December 2

Between 5pm and 9am, women who are due to give birth at Withybush Hospital’s Midwife Led Unit (MLU) will need to phone the Glangwili MLU.

The Glangwili team will then contact an on-call midwife in Pembrokeshire to meet the mum-to-be at Withybush.

The information on how the midwife unit’s on-call system will work has finally been revealed in leaflets placed at Withybush MLU this week.

The change to an on-call service - from a fully 24 hour staffed MLU at Withybush - was first revealed by the Western Telegraph back in March, although it was initially denied by Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB).

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething both also denied changes were planned to the service when politicians raised concerns following Western Telegraph articles.

The leaflets placed at Withybush MLU state: “Women who have normal pregnancies and choose to give birth in the MLU can do so 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“From December 2, 2019, if you need to see your midwife between 9am and 5pm, please contact your community midwifery team.

“After 5pm and before 9am, please contact the MLU in Glangwili Hospital in 01267 248640 who will contact the on call midwife.”

Julie Jenkins, Head of Midwifery for Hywel Dda University Health Board, told the Western Telegraph: “There will be no change to the provision of care as the Midwife Led Unit will continue to operate a 24/7 service for women.

“The Midwife Led Unit will still to be an integral hub, with a focal point for all midwives and health care support workers within the locality.

“The midwifery teams will provide continuity of care as part of the current service provision when delivering safe, effective care. By bringing together these resources and skills this will ensure that women and families are cared for within the most appropriate pathways and by the professionals that best meet their needs.”