Fife’s NHS bosses are planning to end the service which allows expectant mothers to give birth at home.
A drop in demand and improvements to maternity care in hospital have been cited as the reasons behind the move.
A review of the home birth service is one of a number of proposals in a list of efficiency savings put forward by NHS Fife’s operational division, and could save the board £33,000.
Director of nursing Caroline Inwood said only 40 women in Fife gave birth at home last year, 30 fewer than in 2009.
So far this year, just 10 women have registered an interest in the service.
“When I did my midwifery training in the 1980s people would come in for a normal delivery and stay for five days, and after a caesarian section they would stay 10 days,” said Ms Inwood.
“Maternity care has changed dramatically over the years and we now have a situation where women stay with us for six hours.”
Consultant obstetrician Steven Monaghan said that on speaking to women who requested a home birth, the most common reason given was they did not want to be “over medicalised.”
“Luckily we have a very good midwife-led unit which is being looked at nationally and internationally and in six months women will have a facility in the new hospital wing where they will labour and recover in one room and can have their whole family there if they like.”
Operational division chief executive John Wilson added, “We are reviewing the way resources are allocated.
“Numbers are reducing year on year and it’s quite expensive for us to have people on call in case they get called to somebody’s house rather than being on duty in a hospital.
“As the hospital birth rate is increasing the home birth is decreasing. When people see the facilities they will deliver in I think they will be extremely pleased.”
The efficiency savings plan for 2011-12 aims to save £4.95 million, which is 2.2% of the overall budget.
The board also has a financial recovery plan and together the two papers include savings of £9.7 million.