Maternity rethink: 'Not every mother needs a doctor'

Maternity services across the UK need a radical rethink according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

It wants a cut in the number of hospital units to ensure 24-hour access to care from senior doctors can be provided in those that remain.

More midwife-led units would fill the gap by providing care for women with low-risk pregnancies.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, RCOG vice-president David Richmond said it was important to recognise that "not every mother needs a doctor" and that pregnancy "is a perfectly normal physiological event".