Capacity has been reached at Darent Valley Hospital’s maternity wards after a surge in the number of births.

Susan Acott, the hospital’s chief executive, said the hospital was now “physically at our limit” after Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup shut its maternity unit and A&E in December.

Latest figures show the Darenth Wood Road hospital is regularly dealing with a 30 per cent increase in women giving birth, but January saw a massive 55 per cent increase and the most births the hospital has ever seen.

Ms Acott said: “It has been a colossal increase. We are very busy and midwives are run off their feet."

Darent Valley’s maternity unit has not had to turn any women away and the trust has invested £1.3million in services over the last two years, after it became known the Queen Mary’s unit would close.

Have you given birth at Darent Valley recently? Share your experience by emailing mgraham@thekmgroup.co.uk or leave your comments below.