Maternity services are at a “tipping point” the Royal College of Midwives has warned.

A baby boom combined with a national shortage of midwives is putting patient safety and care into question.  The RCM has reported a 50 per cent rise in the number of births over the past few years and says more midwives are urgently needed.  A report being published by the RCM tomorrow accuses David Cameron of going back on a pre-election promise to increase the number of midwives by 3000 and says an extra 5000 are needed in England alone to deal with the highest birth rates in 40 years.

‘The State of Maternity Services’ report also reveals that more than half of NHS trusts had to close their doors an average of seven times a year and divert women to other maternity hospitals.