Information on the number of maternity wards is not collected. A table showing the average daily number of available beds on maternity wards by both strategic health authority and national health service trust in England for each of the last three years has been placed in the Library.
(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of women giving birth in the NHS who were offered a choice of (a) location of birth, (b) birth method and (c) method of pain relief during birth in the latest period for which figures are available.
The commitments made in Maternity Matters that women will be cared for by a named midwife throughout pregnancy and have choice of location of birth, birth method and pain relief during birth are for delivery by December 2009. We have made it clear through the NHS Operating Framework that delivering the Maternity Matters commitments is a high priority for action.
The Department is working with strategic heath authorities (SHAs) to ensure the choice commitments are available. Every SHA now has plans in place to ensure high quality, personal care with greater choice over place of birth and care provided by a named midwife.
The midwife to birth ratio for each strategic health (SHA) authority in England is included in the following table. The data by PCT is not available.
SHA Current full time equivalent midwife: births ratio North East 28.4 North West 29.1 Yorkshire and Humber 34.1 East Midlands 40.1 West Midlands 32.9 East of England 39.8 London 34.0 South East Coast 36.5 South Central 40.3 South West 32.6 England 34.8 Source: Census and Office for National Statistics, September 2008
A table showing the number of maternity support workers within the national health service, by primary care trust and acute trust has been placed in the Library.