Staff recruited to help cope with baby boom

The number of babies being born within the maternity services department has increased from around 3,500 a year to almost 5,000.

Now bosses have revealed they have drafted in more doctors, midwives and support staff in a bid to cope with demand.

They say they anticipate the numbers of mums-to-be will continue to rise with up to 500 extra a year coming from Staffordshire following the shake-up of health services.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust insists it needs funding for an overall £14m upgrade of the Manor, some of which would be used to expand maternity services. Although the hospital is currently able to cope despite the huge surge in demand, officials say they will struggle to deal with the hundreds of extra patients expected from Staffordshire over the coming years if they cannot expand.

A rise in birth rates in the borough and maternity services for Sandwell Hospital being concentrated in Birmingham have also led to a boom in births at the hospital.

The trust in Walsall has a main delivery suite at the hospital and a specialist midwifery-led unit in Charles Street, near to the town centre Waterfront. Chief executive Richard Kirby said: "There certainly has been a big increase in maternity activity.

"We have had to look really carefully at staff in maternity this year. We have put more doctors and midwives and more support staff in.

"If we are going to see activity carry on increasing then we will need more physical space and that is the argument we made to the Mid-Staffordshire administrators and they agreed with us. It is really important we get the resource we asked for."

The trust has been battling against rising admissions, which is expected to increase over the next few years.

Final recommendations for the downgrading of Stafford Hospital were revealed last month. It will see extra patients go to neighbouring areas such as Stoke, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Walsall Manor had been in the running to take over Cannock Chase Hospital in the shake up, but looks set to miss out to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust under the plans.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will have the final say on the recommendations in February.