A COMMUNITY midwifery service contracted to provide care on the NHS is set to go into administration.

One to One Midwives is expected to go into receivership at 5pm on Wednesday, July 31.

More than 4,500 women in the north west currently receive pregnancy advice from the company’s midwives, including many in Warrington.

It had won a contract to provide community midwifery services on behalf of NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group in 2016.

One to One Midwives’ pregnancy advice centre on Sankey Street in the town centre closed recently, with staff having been relocated to offices on Bankside – off Crosfield Street.

The company’s contract was due to run until the end of March 2020, with the CCG having now launched a new procurement exercise to take over the running of the service.

A CCG spokesman said: “NHS commissioners, including NHS Warrington CCG, have this morning been advised that One to One (North West) Limited has taken the decision that they are unable to continue with their contract to provide community midwifery services and will go into administration at 5pm on Wednesday, July 31.

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“Our priority has been to ensure that those women registered with the One to One (North West) Limited’s service can continue to access the support they need.

“Women affected are being contacted directly by a dedicated team to make arrangements to transfer their care to an alternative provider.

“The contract to provide case loading midwifery led community services by One to One (North West) Limited has been in place since 2016, and the current contract is due to expire on March 31 2020.

“A procurement exercise is ongoing to seek a new provider for this service.”

One to One Midwives had also been commissioned to run NHS services in Liverpool, West Cheshire, South Cheshire, Vale Royal, Wirral, South Sefton and Southport and Formby.

Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid added: "The One to One midwifery-led service has been valued tremendously locally, and I know that its loss will be deeply upsetting for many.

"The provision of high-quality midwife-led care is invaluable, and I know that this news will come as a blow to those women who receive care and support currently and for those who have previously used the service.

"NHS Warrington CCG have informed me that all actions are being taken to ensure that the care of all local women who are currently registered with One to One midwifery is transferred safely and smoothly to a new provider of care, and that the welfare of those women remains to be paramount."