Manx Care says it hopes that home birth services could be reinstated within the next 12 months, provided staffing levels improve.
In an FoI response, the health body said the service remains paused due to safe staffing constraints, with the 2025 maternity review supporting the continued suspension.
However, Manx Care added: “We are hopeful that, within the next 12 months, we will be in a position to recommence the service.”
Current vacancy rates for community midwives stand at 11% as of April 2026, down from a peak of 48% in July 2023.
The service says there is “no single fixed target number” for reinstatement, with decisions based on “a holistic assessment of workforce capacity, skill mix, and the ability to sustain competencies and safe care standards across the whole maternity service”.
An indicative phased approach has been outlined, subject to “sustained increase in midwifery workforce capacity.”
Engagement
No dedicated public engagement has been held specifically on home births since April 2021.
Manx Care said: “Engagement activity will therefore be scheduled at an appropriate time, ensuring that discussions are meaningful and aligned with the department’s planned approach.”
Community home visits were reinstated in September 2025 following engagement sessions that helped shape postnatal care.