Pregnant patients must travel to Fredericton for delivery
Horizon announced that labour and birth services will be temporarily unavailable at Horizon’s Upper River Valley Hospital (URVH) beginning Friday, May 22, at 8 a.m., until Monday, June 1, at 8 a.m.
“All pregnant individuals who would normally deliver their babies at URVH will need to travel to Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) in Fredericton. However, anyone who experiences an obstetrical emergency – as with any medical emergency – should call 911 immediately or proceed to the nearest emergency department. If necessary, arrangements will be made to safely transport a patient by ambulance to the nearest labour and delivery unit.”
This is the fifth time since January 2026 that the hospital has had to close the labour and birth unit. Twice this year, babies were born as their mothers were rushing to the hospital. One was born on the sidewalk outside the hospital entrance, and another was born in a vehicle on the side of the highway.
Even if a pregnant individual feels they are low-risk and do not require a C-section, they must still travel to the DECRH for labour and birth, as pregnancy-related issues and emergency situations can quickly arise during childbirth.
All individuals in the URVH service area who are 35 weeks pregnant and over have been contacted by nursing staff.
The reason for this temporary diversion of labour and birth services is due to a temporary lack of medical and nursing resources for emergency caesarian sections (C-sections).
Horizon understands that this temporary change will require additional travel for expectant families in the Upper River Valley, and we sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding.
Horizon continues to actively recruit surgical, anesthesia, and OR-trained nursing professionals to address the staffing gaps that have contributed to diversions at URVH.
