A heavily pregnant woman was transferred to another hospital to give birth on Monday after the delivery suite at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, was forced to close.

A decision to temporarily shut the suite was taken because of the numbers of mums waiting to have their new borns delivered.

The delivery suite was closed from 6am to noon.

A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: “This was a temporary measure while the unit was full and it was re-opened as soon as mothers delivered and were able to be transferred to the postnatal wards.

"It was necessary for one expectant mother to be diverted to another hospital.

“The decision to close the unit is never taken lightly however this action is occasionally taken to ensure the safety of mothers and babies within our catchment area.”