{
  "id": 1308707,
  "title": "Women should not have to travel for hours to give birth | Letters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/women-should-not-have-to-travel-for-hours-to-give-birth-letters",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-16T16:54:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/16/women-should-not-have-to-travel-for-hours-to-give-birth"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the wake of hospital closures, pregnant women in Devon and Cornwall are facing life-threatening situations. The closure of North Devon district hospital, as reported on August 10th, has left many rural areas with no choice but to increase the journey time during labor. This disturbing trend has been ongoing for the past two decades, with distances traveled during childbirth growing longer.\n\nIn south Cumbria, first-time mothers are now limited to delivering at Lancaster or Barrow-in-Furness hospitals. For those living in Ambleside, the journey to Royal Lancaster infirmary can take up to an hour, but traffic delays and ambulance availability can add to the wait time. The reporter, having personally experienced an ambulance delay following a partner's heart attack, is well-aware of the challenges faced by pregnant women in Cumbria.\n\nThese closures have put the lives of pregnant women at risk, forcing them to make difficult choices between the safety of their unborn child and the distance they must travel. The consequences of these hospital closures are not unique to Devon and Cornwall, as many rural areas across the region have already experienced increased travel times due to the closure of local maternity units over the years.",
  "summary": "Readers reflect on how hospital closures are putting pregnant women’s lives at risk The situation facing pregnant women in Devon and Cornwall following the closure of North Devon district hospital is not unique ( ‘Babies will be born in laybys’: maternity cuts leave women with stark choices in Devon, 10 August ). Many rural areas have already seen the distances travelled in labour increase due to…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pregnant women in Devon and Cornwall face life-threatening situations due to hospital closures.",
    "Journey times during labor have increased, with some taking up to an hour.",
    "Hospital closures have put lives of pregnant women at risk across rural areas."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}