Midwives struggle in labour ward crisis - The Telegraph - 9th January 2008

The crisis on labour wards has been laid bare by figures that show some midwives are dealing with 25 per cent more births than six years ago. A critical shortage of staff and a rise in the number of births has increased pressure on midwives to breaking point. In some areas, half of new mothers questioned in the largest midwifery study said they had been left alone and worried during labour, even though guidelines say women should have one-to-one care throughout their contractions and birth. Government figures given to the Liberal Democrats show that the number of births per midwife per year has risen overall in England by 6.5 per cent since 2001.

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