Dr Karen DaviesClinician

Biography

Dr Karen Davies served as Medical Director for Northern Services at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH), the large NHS foundation trust formed in April 2022 by the merger of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust. In that role she held senior clinical leadership responsibility for services at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple and the wider northern services arm of the trust. In August 2026 she resigned from the post in protest at the trust's decision to suspend birthing services at the Ladywell maternity unit at North Devon District Hospital, stating she could not support the way the trust had handled the situation. In her resignation letter she reported having raised warnings about fragility, safety and culture in the northern maternity unit over the preceding two years, and stated that a proposal which could have avoided closure was not brought forward by the executive board. Prior to the merger she held the equivalent role as Medical Director of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT).

References

1. 1.Trust's top doctor resigns in protest over North Devon maternity services – North Devon Gazette — Confirms Dr Karen Davies's role as medical director at RDUH, her resignation in August 2026, and quotes from her resignation letter about maternity service concerns
2. 2.Staff Contacts FOI Response RDF1106-22 – Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust — Confirms Karen Davies's title as Medical Director (Northern Services) at RDUH
3. 3.Who's Who in the Royal Devon's Northern Services – Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust — Confirms Karen Davies's position as Medical Director – Northern Services within the trust's leadership structure
4. 4.Medical director of vital NHS trust resigns over closed maternity wing – AOL / North Devon Journal — Corroborates resignation, quotes from resignation letter including concerns about maternity safety warnings being ignored

Expertise

Cited on

• Maternity & neonatal

Stated areas of expertise

• Maternity services safety
• NHS clinical governance
• Rural and remote healthcare provision
• Medical leadership in NHS foundation trusts
• Patient safety

Notable achievements

• As Medical Director of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, championed the designation of the Upper GI and Abdominal Wall Surgery department at North Devon District Hospital as an Academic Department, recognising its research and education excellence. Source ↗
• Resigned as Medical Director (Northern Services) at RDUH in August 2026 in protest at the suspension of birthing services at North Devon District Hospital, publicly disclosing via her resignation letter that repeated warnings about maternity unit fragility and safety had not been acted upon by senior management. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “I am leaving my job because I cannot support the way the trust has handled and is handling, the maternity situation.”

  Medical director of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust · Maternity & neonatal · 27 Aug 2026 · Trust’s top doctor resigns in protest over North Devon maternity services ↗

• “We have known for several years that there have been concerns about fragility, as well as safety and culture, in the northern maternity unit.”

  Medical director at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust · Maternity & neonatal · 27 Aug 2026 · Health boss resigns over maternity unit closure ↗

Source references

1. Trust’s top doctor resigns in protest over North Devon maternity servicesnorthdevongazette.co.uk · 27 Aug 2026
2. Health boss resigns over maternity unit closurebbc.co.uk · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.royaldevon.nhs.ukpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.