THE Health Department has been accused of failing to show a commitment to “person-centred care” for women and babies after it was confirmed that the Island’s home birth service would remain suspended after already being unavailable for more than a year.
Assistant Health Minister Andy Howell said, during States question time, that Jersey was looking into safety concerns raised after the death of a mother and baby in the north of England.
Earlier this month, an inquest into the death of Jennifer Cahill and her daughter Agnes Lily in Manchester highlighted “gross failings” in antenatal care and the actions of midwives.
The concerns have sparked a review of home birthing across the British Isles, including in Jersey, where the service had already been paused in October 2024 while a separate internal review of protocols, staff training and resources was undertaken.
Deputy Lucy Stephenson raised the matter, saying she was troubled by the fact that “women in Jersey have now been denied access to home birth for over a year”.
She added: “This prolonged suspension does not align with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s published principles to support person-centred care for women and babies.
“That guidance specifically outlines that women’s views, choices and preferences are at the heart of maternity care, and says that home birth options should be provided.”
Deputy Howell, who has responsibility for women’s health matters, said the continued pause was “a direct consequence of the prevention of future death order issued at the start of November following the inquest into the recent tragic home birth case in Manchester, where both mother and baby died”.
She added: “I think we have a very excellent maternity service – I agree that perhaps women at the moment are not given every choice, but my priority is safety for our mothers and babies.”
Deputy Jonathan Renouf said he hoped the same level of determination would be applied to the restoration of the home birthing service as to some other areas of health policy, using the forthcoming detailed legislation on allowing Assisted Dying as one example.
Deputy Howell said she could not give a date when the service would resume in Jersey, emphasising repeatedly that safety was the priority.
During the Manchester inquest, the coroner described what had happened to Ms Cahill and her daughter during an attempted home birth as as a “Victorian-age nightmare” and ordered that a prevention of future deaths report.
