For women like Clare Payne, who experience complications during pregnancy, childbirth can be an agonising experience.

Mrs Payne, 23, gave birth to her first son Harry in 2006 with few problems, but his brother Finley’s birth last September was delayed repeatedly owing to a shortage of staff and beds.

At 18 weeks she developed SPD, a condition that causes pressure on the pelvis and extreme pain. Doctors said that she should be induced at 37 weeks, but when she arrived at hospital she was promptly sent home because there were not enough staff. “I was told I was a priority case, but every time I contacted the ward I was told I would have to wait hours, if not days.”

Mrs Payne, a sales assistant from St Leonards, East Sussex, returned to hospital at least three more times.

Finally she elected to have a Caesarean section after waiting for more than two weeks. “It was a totally disgusting way to treat a heavily pregnant woman,” she said.

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