New mothers going hungry and being left alone on maternity wards

• 23% said they were underfed in hospital

• 36% were not offered antenatal classes

• 18% said toilets and bathrooms on wards were not clean

Thousands of women are being left to give birth terrified and alone due to a desperate shortage of midwives, says a damning report.

The biggest ever survey of maternity services revealed how women are forced to have children in filthy wards and go hungry because they are not given enough to eat.

Hundreds of thousands are also suffering unnecessary pain because doctors are telling them to give birth in the wrong position.

The report by the Government watchdog the Healthcare Commission found there were particular concerns over hospitals' failings on postnatal care, communication, food and cleanliness.

The commission's Sue Eardley said yesterday: "Every single woman should be treated with respect and individualised care, and they should receive one-to-one care during labour.

"But that is not happening in far too many cases. It is worrying that continuity of care and information is not always at the standard that they expect.

"It may well be that shortages of midwives in some trusts is exacerbating the problem. It could also be that in other trusts there are plenty of midwives but they are not communicating with each other well."

The commission questioned 26,000 women who gave birth in January or February this year.

More than a quarter - 26 per cent - said they had been left worried and alone during labour or shortly after birth.

During labour itself, 9 per cent said they were left alone when they did not want to be, rising to 33 per cent in the worst trusts.

This is despite guidance from the advisory body the National Institute for Clinical Excellence stating that women "should receive supportive one-to-one care".

It adds: "A woman in established labour should not be left on her own except for short periods or at the woman's request."

The Government says all women should have a named midwife during the whole of their pregnancy.

But the survey revealed that 43 per cent of women did not always see the same midwife for their antenatal appointments.

The Royal College of Midwives estimates there is a shortage of at least 5,000 midwives.

Deputy general secretary Louise Silverton said: "It is a serious concern that too many women are left alone during labour, leaving them feeling worried and vulnerable.

"The main way to solve these problems is simply to improve midwife numbers. Without this the Government's targets will just be broken promises."

One in five new mothers described the quality of hospital food as poor, while 23 per cent complained of being given too little to eat.

Some 18 per cent complained of filthy toilets and bathrooms - rising to 63 per cent in one trust - while 8 per cent said their wards were unclean.

The survey also uncovered evidence that hospitals were ignoring guidelines on birthing positions - making labour needlessly painful.

It found 57 per cent of women gave birth either lying down or lying with their legs in stirrups. NICE says that unless there is a specific clinical reason, women should give birth in a sitting or squatting position.

This shortens the birth - reducing the risk of complications - and makes the experience less painful.

Other findings cast doubt on the reality of Labour's choice agenda.

Some 43 per cent were not offered the choice of having their baby at home - even though trusts are supposed to offer all women the choice - while 36 per cent were not offered the chance to attend antenatal classes on the NHS.

Asked about postnatal care, 24 per cent said they did not see a midwife as often as they wanted to.

LibDem health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "This survey shows the huge gap between Government promises and the reality in maternity units across the country."

Overall, however, 89 per cent of women said their care was excellent, very good or good during pregnancy; 90 per cent said so during labour and birth; and 80 per cent for the time after birth.

Dr Gwyneth Lewis, the Government's maternal health czar, said: "This survey provides NHS maternity services with a clear indication of satisfaction levels and will help them focus on where they need to improve."

On the key issue of women being left alone, the worst-performing trust was Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust, where 49 per cent were left alone at a point which worried them, followed by Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust (46 per cent), Newham University Hospital NHS Trust (44 per cent) and Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust (39 per cent).

The best was East Cheshire NHS Trust, where 15 per cent of women said they had been left alone.