Too many babies being born at short-staffed Walsall Manor Hospital

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust introduced a birthing cap of 4,200 babies to be delivered in the 2016/17 period to relieve pressure on its failing maternity unit.

But targets are being missed and now bosses are considering extending the cap beyond next March.

In September, the trust saw 389 newborns, despite aiming to only deliver 345. There were also staffing problems, with one-in-five shifts during the month not manned properly.

Eleven midwives were supposed to be on at one time but that was only the case in 49 out of 62 shifts in September.

Midwives became responsible for 34 births each in September when the national requirement is 28.

In the same month in 2015, Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors said high-risk women were not receiving one-to-one care due to staffing problems.

A trust performance report said: "A higher than average level of reported sickness, accumulated maternity leave and staff leaving employment with the trust accounted for these absences.

"The midwifery bank was unable to provide appropriate staff to cover."

Figures revealed there were 134 vacancies during the month, although a trust spokeswoman said the number had reduced to 80.

Rachel Overfield, director of nursing, said: "The trust has been actively recruiting nurses and midwives. Our overseas recruitment has also gone well but those colleagues will not join the trust until next spring."