After a tendering process, Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group has awarded the contract for community maternity services to Bath’s RUH. Since June 2011 the contract has been held by Great Western Hospital.
The services cover a wide area of North and West Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset – Mendip and South Gloucestershire. In 2012-2013 this service was responsible for 5,000 births.
The contract was to start on May 1 but has been moved forward to June 1. It is for three years and worth £21m a year.
The switch of supplier will mean that midwives and maternity nurses who have very recently signed on with GWH as part of their recruitment drive – including staff who have moved from overseas – will probably be transferred to RUH.
