Bailleul Hospital Navigates Maternity Ward Suspension Amidst Financial and Staffing challenges
The Regional Health Agency’s suspension of authorization for deliveries at the Bailleul hospital, located between Sablé-sur-Sarthe and la Flèche, effectively marks the end of its maternity ward, despite officials avoiding the term “closure.” The move comes as the hospital, while experiencing a resurgence in overall activity in 2025 and maintaining 7-day-a-week emergency services, grapples with significant financial pressures and a restructuring that will eliminate approximately thirty positions.
The decision regarding deliveries, according to hospital leadership, wasn’t unexpected. “It won’t be that significant a change because childbirth has effectively been suspended for two years,” explained Aldric Evain, deputy director of PSSL. “this decision by the ARS is a request to formalize a situation that already exists.” The suspension directly impacts staff specializing in maternity care. “For these professions which are very specific to birth, it is indeed complicated as we do not have any equivalence at the establishment,” Evain stated. The hospital plans to support affected staff through mobility to other structures or by offering retraining opportunities.Officials emphasized the unsustainable nature of maintaining positions without corresponding activity.
Despite the closure of the maternity ward, the hospital is actively focusing on perinatal care, offering women’s health consultations including contraception and sexual health services, and continuing to monitor pregnancies. A key strategy involves establishing a direct link with the maternity ward at the Le Mans hospital to ensure seamless file transmission and continuity of care. “We encourage shared time between the Le Mans hospital and the PSSL so that, no matter where you are, you are followed by the same professionals,” dr. Lelouch explained. The hospital successfully transformed its pediatric department into an outpatient service, addressing a regional gap in pediatrician access, and aims to replicate this model in gynecology.
Looking beyond immediate restructuring, the hospital is exploring new avenues for care delivery. Advanced midwifery consultations are being redeveloped, with a pilot program planned for Malicorne following a local practitioner’s departure. The hospital is also considering expanding consultations in surrounding towns to improve access for patients.
The emergency services at Bailleul have seen significant advancement, operating seven days a week with extended hours. Currently open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and 6:30 p.m. on weekends, the hospital anticipates extending weekday hours to 11 p.m. in January. This stability is attributed to a shift away from temporary staff and a core team of six to seven full-time equivalents, supplemented by 23 practitioners who also work in Angers or Le Mans. emergency room visits have doubled in the past four years, reaching an expected 12,000 by year-end.
The joint management structure with the Le Mans Hospital Center has been instrumental in attracting specialists to the PSSL. “There are much fewer obstacles to sharing time between different establishments,” Evain noted, anticipating an influx of specialists from Le Mans in the new year, including hematologists, ENT specialists, gastroenterologists, and visceral surgeons. Plans to reintroduce chemotherapy services at Bailleul are in the early stages,with potential implementation by mid-2026,contingent on collaboration with the Sarthe Cancer center.
A recently established local center for patients without a primary care physician is proving triumphant, serving 7,000 to 8,000 patients with over 12,000 consultations, despite lacking dedicated funding from the ARS. The hospital continues to invest in equipment, having recently renewed its MRI and scanner, recognizing their importance for both internal and external services.
Despite the positive developments, the PSSL faces ongoing financial challenges. While activity has increased by over 25% since 2019, the hospital currently operates with a deficit of 8 to 10%, with 90 million euros in expenses and 80 million in revenue. The cessation of COVID-related financial aid has exacerbated the situation. However, hospital leadership remains optimistic, citing an improved ability to attract healthcare professionals – the number of full-time equivalent doctors has risen from 38 four years ago to 58 today – and a commitment to long-term sustainability. “We are stronger today than a few years ago, that’s for sure,” Evain concluded.
