Baby born in hospital's car park

The trust is axing 600 jobs as part of its plans to save £15m

A baby was born in an ambulance after a couple were told there were not enough midwives on duty at their nearest hospital in North Yorkshire.

When Sally West, 36, went into labour she was hoping to give birth at Malton Hospital, just three miles from home.

But she had to travel 26 miles to Scarborough where Phoebe was delivered in a hospital car park.

Gilly Collinson, for the trust, said: "It isn't safe to deliver babies if we're having difficulty with staffing."

The Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust provoked a public outcry earlier this year over plans to axe 600 jobs - a third of its workforce.

And it has also announced plans to cut all deliveries at maternity wards in Malton, Whitby and Bridlington in favour of a centralised unit in Scarborough.

Unfortunately it isn't safe to deliver babies if we're having difficulty with staffing levels Gilly Collinson, NHS Trust communication manager

Ms West's partner, Clive Milson, 58, accused hospital bosses of "gambling with people's lives" and called on the trust to keep the units open.

He said: "If Sally had gone to Malton, Phoebe would have been born in the delivery room in the proper way.

"We were very fortunate there were no complications.

"It's the bosses and the powers-that-be that I'm against - they're gambling with people's lives.

"The ambulance crew were fantastic but the paramedics are overstretched.

"Unfortunately, you have to have an incident like this to highlight the problem. It's a crying shame that it has got to this stage."

Gilly Collinson, communication manager for the trust, said: "We're sorry that baby Phoebe could not be born at Malton Hospital as planned, but unfortunately it isn't safe to deliver babies if we're having difficulty with staffing levels, which can be quite difficult to maintain in a small unit.

"Some babies do arrive more quickly than expected, and it can be better to deliver in an ambulance than attempt to move mum at a late stage.

"We are pleased that, despite everything, baby arrived safe and well."