MATERNITY services in Harwich and Clacton could be cut because there are not enough midwives in the Colchester area.

NHS North East Essex and Colchester Hospital University Foundation Trust want to create birthing centres to replace in-patient facilities at Clacton District Hospital, and Harwich’s Fryatt Hospital.

Women would only be admitted to the centre once in labour, and will go home after the birth.

They will have the option of giving birth at home, or at Colchester General Hospital.

Vickie Williams, Tendring health campaigner, said the plan was “disgusting”.

She said: “You pop to the shops – you don’t just pop to the hospital to have a baby.

“Even if women give birth in Colchester, they should be able to come back to Harwich or Clacton. We need more services, not less.”

The trust said it wants to reorganise maternity services to redress inequalities in its provision, which sees one midwife for every 12 women in Harwich, but only one for every 39 in Colchester.

It is one of seven options being considered by bosses.

Other options put forward include making no changes, or closing the Harwich birthing unit, but maintaining Clacton’s midwife-led team.

The report said: “During recent years, there has been growing concern around the sustainability of the midwifery-led unit at Harwich and Clacton.

“The high standard of care offered by these two units does not cause concern.

“What has caused concern and much debate is the relatively small number of births that take place at both Harwich and Clacton, the staffing ratios and bed occupancy.

“These imbalances across north east Essex are creating an inequity in maternity services provision for women and their partners across the district.”

Clacton District Hospital’s midwifery-led birthing unit has been open since 2002 and has eight post-natal beds, two main delivery rooms and two labour beds.

Harwich Hospital’s unit opened in 2006, and has six postnatal beds, two labour beds and two main delivery rooms.

Women who decide to give birth at Colchester will have to travel an extra 17 miles from Clacton, or 21 miles from Harwich.

Lynn Storey-Smith, spokes-man for NHS North East Essex, said the document, which is not ready for public consultation, contains five options for the future delivery of maternity services in Colchester and Tendring.

She said: “We have undertaken very limited early discussions with staff, service users and senior managers and clinicians associated with the area.

“The intention of the consultation is to have a frank and open discussion with all communities giving them information and advice in relation to the options available for the future of maternity services in North East Essex.

“We feel it is very important for everyone to understand at this stage, we have not formed a fixed view of that future.”

A three-month consultation on the plans is expected to take place later this year.