Wanted: 1,000 midwives as London birth rate rises

Maternity care in London is in crisis with new figures revealing a record midwife shortage.

The findings, obtained exclusively by the Standard, show 1,150 more midwives are needed to deal with the soaring birthrate in the capital. There were 125,505 babies born in London last year - a rise of 20 per cent in five years.

But spending on maternity care has fallen by £46.5 million. This is blamed on a legacy of cutbacks by health trusts between 2005 and last year.

The Royal College of Midwives, which calculated the figures, said new mothers faced a "postcode lottery" over care.

Pat Gould, RCM team manager for London, said: "Women keep hearing about the Government's gold standard for maternity care, such as one-to-one care from a midwife, but they're not getting-that sort of treatment in many areas of London. Our members tell us that they're overstretched and are running between beds dealing with often three women in labour. "

There are 3,449 midwives working full time in maternity care in London.

NHS bosses have promised an extra 4,000 health workers in the capital, including midwives. But the RCM says many maternity health workers could quit as they cannot find work.

Evening Standard has also been told that some doctors are performing unnecessary Caesarean sections to speed up births because of a shortage of beds on overcrowded wards. Ministers have pledged that women will have automatic access to a birth at home, in hospital or at a midwife-led birthing centre. But experts say this pledge is not being met, triggering a rise in dangerous DIY births known as "freebirthing".