A HEALTH watchdog has expressed "grave concerns" about staffing levels at Royal Lancaster Infirmary's maternity ward.

The local Community Health Council (CHC) claims more midwives are urgently needed to ease the "considerable pressure" on the maternity service.

And the group is also concerned about the high rates of medical intervention at the local labour ward - with 24 percent o f births being induced and 18 per cent of babies being delivered by Caesarean section - much higher than World Health Organisation targets for developed countries.

A recent shake-up of maternity services will see complicated and emergency births at Helme Chase in Kendal being redirected to Lancaster.

The local labour ward will get five new midwives to cope with the extra demand but the CHC says this will only return staffing levels to normal.

In a response to the health authority's plans, the CHC's Chief Officer, Judith Deft, says: "We have grave concerns that midwifery staffing levels at Lancaster simply will not be able to cope with the additional numbers of women transferred from Helme Chase. The extra 5 midwives proposed for the RLI will only just make up the current shortfall. Further midwives will need to be recruited in order to safely care for additional patients."

She added: "We are already concerned about the high rates of intervention in our hospitals. A direct correlation has been found by the Royal College of Midwives between low maternity staffing levels and intervention in childbirth. We know there are already problems in accommodating partners, family members and birth partners at the RLI. These will be exacerbated if more women are coming from a distance. The service in Lancaster is already under considerable pressure and may not be able to cope with more patients. without a reduction in the quality of the service."

A health authority spokesman said: "These changes are about ensuring that babies are born safely and in good health. Pregnant women from throughout Morecambe Bay who want their baby born in Kendal continue to have a right to ask for that. It will only be a very small number who, when a difficulty is identified, will be transferred to either Barrow or Lancaster where specialists will ensure a safe delivery."