Student midwives could fail to qualify after a regulator threatened to shut down their course amid a slew of issues surrounding the trusts where they train.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has written to Canterbury Christ Church University with the provisional intention to withdraw approval for its midwifery programme at hospital trusts across Kent and Medway.

The university was forced to put its three-year BSc degree on hold to new undergraduates last September, just weeks before the term was due to begin.

The NMC stepped in after receiving alarming feedback from existing students, who reported a lack of supervision – with trainees being left with patients for entire shifts.

The regulator also discovered students did not feel supported enough to raise concerns, or listened to when they did.

Last month, the university then suspended the placements of a group of its students at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford due to ongoing safety fears.

It followed a surprise inspection from healthcare watchdog CQC, which found a number of areas of concern at the Harvey and its sister hospital, the QEQM in Margate.

Now, the course could be pulled all together, leaving about 130 midwives in fear of being unable to pass.

The university has been given a month to prove its midwifery programme meets the standards set by the NMC.

A source, who did not want to be named, said: "Third years have been taken off their hospital placements because of a lack of supervision and second years have been told that their degree may be discontinued.

"It is a personal crisis for student midwives who are midway through their training and a wider staffing crisis in East Kent midwifery services, which will be further compounded if Christ Church has its accreditation removed."

Dr Alexander Rhys, assistant director of professional practice at the council, said it was sorry for the “uncertainty” the move has created for students.

"Our midwifery students continue to remain our priority..."

“We’ve given the university until the end of March to reassure us about the safety and quality of its course,” he explained.

“We’ll then make a final decision about whether the course can continue or will have to close. We’ll make this decision in the best interests of women, babies and families.

“We know it will be distressing for them [students], however, our core role and primary concern is to protect the public and uphold high professional standards.

A spokesperson for the university said: “We can confirm that the Nursing and Midwifery Council has given us notice of their intention to withdraw approval for our current midwifery programme.

“This is a provisional decision and the NMC has given the university one month to address the outstanding concerns and provide assurance that their standards are being met.

“Our midwifery students continue to remain our priority and we are deeply committed to meeting the local workforce needs.

"We are fully and wholeheartedly focused on working with our partner trusts, NHS Kent and Medway and Health Education England, and are confident those assurances will be met over the next month, including how our students are supervised on placements.”

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), which runs both faculties, was recently the subject of a nationwide scandal after a report revealed the scale of failings which resulted in unnecessary deaths and injuries in babies and mothers.

NHS Kent and Medway Chief Nurse Eileen Sills said: “Our prime concern is and always will be the responsibility we have to the women, babies and families using maternity units in Kent and Medway – their best interests must come first.’’