AS England goes through a mini-baby boom, the number of births at Poole Hospital has increased by almost a fifth in the last eight years, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The latest national figures show that there were 627,807 live births in the country last year, 2.7 per cent more than the previous year and a 19.1 per cent increase since the beginning of the current boom in 2001.

Live births in the south west in 2008 were 3.1 per cent up on the previous year and 20.5 per cent up since 2001.

Although the number of births at Poole only rose by one per cent last year, to 4,329, the hospital has seen a 19.5 per cent increase since the start of the boom.

The Royal College of Midwives has warned that maternity services are already at full capacity. Deputy general secretary Louise Silverton said: “There has been an increase in midwife numbers, but it is an increase that is happening far too slowly, and is not even beginning to keep pace with the increase in births. Indeed, it is falling behind.

“I hear of suggestions that spending on health may have to slow down or even fall.

“Healthier mothers produce healthier babies, who turn into healthier adults. It is particularly through maternity services that this can happen, and it would be damaging to the nation’s long-term health if they do not continue to get resources.”

A spokeswoman for Poole Hospital, the major maternity unit for East Dorset, said it had invested “significantly” in maternity services.

“Since the start of 2008, we have increased staffing levels across the whole maternity unit, creating six new midwifery posts, as well as 15 support worker posts, more than 20 care assistant posts and 15 clerical posts.

“We have also created three new consultant posts,” she said.

“We have invested in new equipment to enhance the care that mums and babies receive, and are building a new state-of-the-art maternity hospital which will provide additional capacity to cope with a further rise in birth rates.”