SENIOR doctors have issued a no-confidence vote in the leaders overseeing North Devon’s maternity crisis-hit hospital.

Consultants at North Devon District Hospital passed the vote against the executive board that oversees the healthcare site, which is facing huge pressure amid the continued suspension of birthing services there.

The temporary closure is forcing women expecting a baby to travel around two hours to Exeter or Taunton, which has led to reports of births in ambulances and cars.

The consultant body at the hospital said it had “no confidence” in the board’s ability to ensure equitable, safe and sustainable local access to healthcare for the population of North Devon.

The chair of the board, Dame Shan Morgan, recently announced she would be stepping down from her role in March, but a statement by the trust did not mention the ongoing maternity crisis.

It’s understood more than 300 mums-to-be are on standby to travel to Exeter, and 154 mothers have so far given birth at Exeter’s hospital, according to Devon County Council, which is lobbying health secretary Yvette Cooper for support.

“The erosion or centralisation of services risks leaving the population of North Devon with increasingly limited access to timely and equitable care,” a statement from the medical advisory committee said about the no confidence vote.

“The consultant body believes that the cumulative loss of services must be recognised as a serious threat to the sustainability of local healthcare and to our ability to meet the needs of the population we serve.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Devon University Hospital (RDUH) NHS Foundation Trust, which encompasses the North Devon site, said: “We are disappointed that colleagues have felt it necessary to declare a vote of no confidence, as through our regular discussions we have demonstrated that we are taking their concerns seriously.

“However, we respect the strength of feeling expressed by them.

“The Royal Devon remains absolutely committed to providing safe, high-quality and sustainable healthcare services for the people of North Devon.”

The spokesperson added that decisions about maternity services were “not taken lightly and were made with patient safety, clinical quality and long-term sustainability as the primary considerations”.

“All our clinicians and stakeholders understand that there are national challenges regarding medical obstetric cover, and the Royal Devon board has stressed to its regulators that we need support to resolve these challenges.,” the spokesperson added.

The consultant body said it remained “keen and willing” to be involved in “constructive dialogue” about the future of services at the hospital, which the hospital echoed.

“We have invited representatives of the medical advisory committee to meet with executives to discuss their specific concerns and how we work together to secure the long-term future of healthcare provision in Northern Devon,” the spokesperson said.

The RDUH trust was created in 2022, merging Exeter’s Royal Devon and Exeter trust and the North Devon healthcare trust. A key pillar of the rationale was to protect services in North Devon.

The crisis has garnered national attention, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham being asked questions about it in Parliament.