Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.

The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.

“We have six out of eight full time obstetrics staff who are going to be off on maternity leave, so we are closing, temporarily, our obstetrical unit from April 28 until mid-September,” said Mary-Lou Albers, clinical services manager for the Listowel Memorial Hospital.

Albers said the six registered nurses who will be on maternity leave this summer are all expected to return. She said the hospital executive, and nurses themselves, looked at every solution to try and keep the hospital’s maternity ward open, but just couldn’t find an answer that worked.

“The closest obstetrical units are in Kitchener, Stratford, Hanover, Walkerton, and Goderich. Families will be working with their primary care providers, physicians, midwife, nurse practitioners to put together a plan,” said Listowel Memorial Hospital CEO Karl Ellis.

While there won’t be any babies born in Listowel’s maternity ward this summer, as 130 babies are typically delivered in Listowel’s obstetrics unit each year.

The obstetrics unit at the Listowel Memorial Hospital, seen on March 28, 2024, will close from April 28 to mid-September, because six of eight registered nurses in the department are going on maternity leave. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

One-third with midwives, and two-thirds use the hospital’s physicians, according to Ellis.

While some “temporary closures” of emergency rooms across Ontario have become permanent ER closures due to nursing shortages, Ellis and Albers are both extremely confident Listowel’s obstetrics closure will indeed just be for the summer.

“We have a dedicated group of physicians, leadership staff, and nursing staff in this area. They are collectively committed to seeing this service resume in mid-September,” said Ellis.

“They [the nurses] are choosing to grow their families here, and they are all really passionate about obstetrics. So, I’m very confident we are going to have our obstetrical department back mid-September, as planned,” said Albers.

You can learn more about the temporary OB closure by visiting their website.

The obstetrics unit at the Listowel Memorial Hospital, seen on March 28, 2024, will close from April 28 to mid-September, because six of eight registered nurses in the department are going on maternity leave. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)