Two Kent hospitals closed their doors to expectant mothers 97 times last year because of staff shortages.

The statistics, which refer to Maidstone and Pembury hospitals, were obtained by shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley under the Freedom of Information Act.

They appeared in The Observer newspaper at the weekend.

The 97 closures meant the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust had the worst record in the UK. Maidstone hospital shut 66 times, while Pembury closed on 31 occasions. The longest closure lasted for 18 hours.

A trust spokesman said: "We have two nationally acclaimed maternity units that work in unison. If one is full, women are diverted safely and routinely to the other.

"We have had only one complaint from the small number of women who have been diverted from one unit to the other in the past year. Pregnancy is not entirely predictable, but if lots of babies come out at once we have the facilities to cope."

Across the UK there were more than 550 maternity unit closures, caused by either a lack of staff or beds.

Maidstone and the Weald MP Ann Widdecombe said: "To be told just as you arrive ready to give birth that you have to do another 17 mile journey does seem a little callous.

"If this is what is going on then people should know so that it doesn't come as an awful shock."

~ Listen: Ann Widdecombe talks to kmfm's Aurelia Allen about the issue >>>

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