The Daily Telegraph reports today that more than one in three hospitals are cutting budgets for maternity care as the National Health Service financial crisis deepens.
The cuts mean that almost half of all health trusts are not replacing midwives who leave the service, according to research by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
Meanwhile, one in four heads of midwifery have also been forced to reduce home visits and 10 per cent are cutting back on home births, despite NHS guidance that women should be allowed to opt for such a procedure.
Last night, the RCM's general secretary, Dame Karlene Davis, said: "Mothers need to be reassured that they will have the caring support of the midwife they know, and in the situation which best suits their family. This is very important and if the knee-jerk reaction to funding is to freeze recruitment and further reduce the number of midwives, then everyone can see it makes it difficult to achieve."
The results of the survey come ahead of this week's RCM conference where Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, is expected to face further grassroots anger over cuts.
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