WALES’ newest maternity unit is more than 30 midwives short of “safe levels”, NHS staff claimed.A group of midwives at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, said there is a shortage of senior staff at the £3.7m maternity unit as a result of cost-cutting measures.And they have spoken of a “culture of bullying, intimidation and systematic exclusion” within the trust.Their concerns come as a major redevelopment of maternity facilities in Newport has just been completed.

More than 3,300 babies – almost nine a day – were delivered at the hospital last year. The unit is also a centre for high-risk births in the region. Read more