Expectant mum 'really worried' about lack of midwives

A mum who is due to undergo a caesarean section says she is "really worried" about her hospital's staffing levels and poor facilities.

Tamara Hale and Callum Brunsdon, who are expecting to have their second child at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton within days, said they were left with concerns after spotting mould on the ward's walls and a low number of midwives on shift.

It comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the ward "inadequate" in 2023, when inspectors found the Somerset hospital "did not always have enough midwifery staff to ensure the safety of women".

Hospital chiefs said their maternity staffing levels met national guidelines.

Brunsdon said the hospital was "shambolic" after spotting mould on the walls of the maternity unit, which he said could be "extremely damaging" to the health of the mothers and babies.

A spokesperson for the hospital said they were working with the Department of Health and Social Care to find investment that could be used to "urgently" replace and improve its facilities.

On their recent visits to Musgrove Park, Hale and Brunsdon said they were told by staff that there were only two midwives on overnight shifts to look after 16 women on the postnatal ward.

Brunsdon said the number of employees was "unacceptable" and raised his concerns with staff.

He believes the ward has been put under additional strain due to the closure of nearby Yeovil District Hospital, which is reopening next month.

"I do feel that the additional influx of women has strained Musgrove past its capacity," he said.

According to hospital bosses, they aim to have at least three midwives and two support workers on overnight shifts. If midwives become unavailable, they said additional support would be sourced to meet the safe staffing standards.

They added that the number of staff in its maternity ward had been "increased" following temporary closures at Yeovil District Hospital in June 2025.

Hale said: "Our baby has got a heart condition, which is why a hospital birth and caesarean have been advised.

"We're really worried that there's just not going to be help there if we need it."

The couple were told that the midwives were keeping a record of patients that choose to self-discharge due to the hospital's low staffing levels.

A spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said it met the national staffing guidelines and had increased its number of employees "significantly" in both medical and midwifery teams.

They added: "Since the Care Quality Commission's inspection of our maternity services in November 2023, our colleagues have worked exceptionally hard and have completed and embedded all of the actions in our improvement plan.

"This included strengthening our governance processes, reviewing and updating guidance and policies, overhauling our oversight of mandatory training and improving compliance, buying new emergency equipment, and putting in place an evidence-based, standardised triage process."

During out-of-hours, the hospital has one on-call consultant, a registrar and a resident doctor.

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