21/01/2013

Rising Birth Rate Putting Strain On NHS

Midwives have warned that the increasing birthrate is putting the NHS under pressure.

688,120 babies were born in England in 2011, the highest figures since 1971.

As the Office for National Statistics suggest 2012 will be another record-breaking year, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have said hospital services are struggling to keep up.

The RCM says a big issue is the country's rising birth rate - which is up by more than 124,000 since 2001, with the birth rate in parts of England having jumped more than 50% in recent years.

The RCM’s report, called ‘The State of Maternity Services’, shows that Corby, Northamptonshire, had the fastest growing birth rate, which jumped 63% between 2002 and 2011, almost three times faster than the England-wide rise of about 21%.

Other "hotspots" include Bournemouth, Boston in Lincolnshire , the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, Slough and Norwich (48%), Peterborough, Watford, Southampton, and Bristol.

However, Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said that the number of midwives is increasing faster than the birth rate and the government says it has been investing in maternity care.

(H)

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