Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board has the highest midwife-birth ratio in the UK, according to figures published by the BBC Panorama programme.
The Royal College of Midwives recommends that to maintain safety and quality of care there should be no more than 28 births to each midwife. The ratio in Aneurin Bevan LHB is 46.7, well above the recommended safe level and the highest of any LHB or hospital trust in the UK.
Darren Millar AM, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services, said, “These figures are further evidence of a postcode lottery in maternity care in Wales.
“If maternity units are severely understaffed, it means demoralised midwives, nurses and other NHS staff are not able to provide the quality of care that patients expect.
“The Minister needs to get a grip of the situation to reassure expectant mothers in south east Wales that maternity units are safe, well-resourced and staffed to meet patient demand.”
