A hospital maternity unit could be at risk as a result of staffing issues.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said that the unit at Worthing Hospital may not have enough specialist staff over the next few months to keep women and their newborns safe.

This is a result of a national shortage of midwives and neonatal nurses, combined with staff sickness and other absences at the hospital.

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To make sure women and their babies receive the best care, the hospital trust said it is currently looking into contingency plans if staff shortages become a problem.

One possibility is that expectant mothers may have to give birth at another hospital site.

The trust also said it is working hard to increase staff numbers, with people currently being trained in these much-needed specialist roles on the maternity ward.

Newly qualified midwives are also expected to join the service in autumn.

Dr Tim Taylor, chief of service for the women and children’s division at University Hospitals Sussex, said: "Providing the best possible maternity care is an absolute priority for our dedicated team at Worthing Hospital.
 
“All hospitals in England are affected by a national shortage of midwives and neonatal nurses.

"At Worthing, an increase in sickness or other absence over the next few months could mean we don’t have enough specialist staff to maintain the safety of our maternity service.
 
“We’re working hard to increase staffing numbers: for example, we have 20 colleagues in training for specialist neonatal roles that are hard to fill, and we’ll have newly qualified midwives joining us in the autumn.
 
“Other hospitals have temporarily moved births to other sites in similar circumstances to make sure mothers and babies are kept safe.

"That’s not something we want to do, but our maternity teams are looking at all contingencies.
 
“We will of course keep expectant mothers in our care updated if we have to make any changes to the service.”

Beccy Cooper, the newly appointed MP for West Worthing, said she is having a meeting with the hospital to try and find the best course of action for women in the community due to give birth this year.

On Sunday, she wrote on Facebook: "I know that our hospital is an essential part of the health and wellbeing of our community, and that the maternity service is an integral part of this, allowing women to deliver babies safely without needing to travel to other areas.

"I have a meeting with University Hospitals Sussex tomorrow and together with my fellow Worthing MP Tom Rutland, we will look at how best to support the hospital to ensure that women can continue to deliver their babies in our hospital."

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said it will update expectant mothers in its care if any changes are made to the maternity services.