Petition demands birthing centres

There are no birth centres in Bristol at present

A petition is being delivered calling for women to have more choice about where they can give birth in Bristol.

It is part of a campaign by the Birth Centre Action Group, which wants to see midwife-led birth centres set up as alternatives to hospitals.

More than 1,000 people have signed letters addressed to the city's primary care trusts.

There are no currently plans for birth centres, which are normally found in rural areas, in Bristol.

Deborah Evans, chief executive of Bristol South & West PCT, said: "We've been addressing other pressing questions about the future of acute hospitals, children's services and how we can invest in and develop services closer to peoples' homes."

But Rick Porter, consultant obstetrician at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, said: "Birth centres are a win for mums and midwifes who can express the full spectrum of their skills.

And midwife Jilly Rosser, said: "All you need is a few rooms, with birth pools and soundproof walls."