MIDWIFE vacancies are to be left unfilled at Royal Surrey County Hospital, in Guildford.

The hospital trust, which revealed an annual deficit of £11million earlier the year, has warned of “some very difficult decisions and changes to working practice”.

It is cutting its midwife-to-mother ratio with each midwife caring for 30 mothers, rather than 29, but insisted “patient safety, standards and care will not be affected”.

In a statement, Royal Surrey said: “The safety of our patients is our primary concern and as such we measure our midwife acuity levels on a daily basis.”

The trust said the ratio change was “not driven” by its need to make savings, but came from a ‘normal monthly process” of reviewing nursing and midwifery numbers.

But the spokesman also warned: “This year, the trust needs to save over £22million, which means making some very difficult decisions and changes to working practice.’

Hospital campaigner Karin Peluso said: “If this continues at the Royal Surrey and they start slashing at the frontline services, key personnel like midwives, then the hospital could be on a very slippery slope.”