ONE of the UK's most senior midwives has strongly defended low-tech maternity units despite the death of an unborn baby during a car dash to another hospital.

Anne Jackson-Baker, director of the English Royal College of Midwives (RCM) board, last night urged the public to keep faith with midwife-led units as an investigation into the death of Olivia Harrison continues in County Durham.

She said: "Midwife-led units are what women, midwives and some doctors have been fighting for for years. They are a very effective model of care and we are having some really good results around the country."

The RCM spokeswoman denied the increasing popularity of low-tech midwife-led maternity units was a cheap option, but conceded that changes were driven by reductions in working hours for doctors and the training requirements of medical students.

She feared the widely- reported case involving Bishop Auckland General Hospital would be used "as a stick to beat midwifery-led units", which, she said, provided a more natural environment for giving birth.

The Northern Echo revealed on Monday how Andrea Harrison's unborn baby died two days after Bishop Auckland General Hospital was downgraded to a midwife-led maternity unit.

Mrs Harrison, 30, of Newton Aycliffe, was due to have a normal birth at Bishop Auckland, but scans revealed the unborn baby had an unusually fast heartbeat and she was advised to go to Darlington Memorial Hospital for specialist treatment.

During the journey, Mrs Harrison experienced severe pain and feared she would give birth in her car.

By the time the baby was delivered by emergency Caesarean section, Olivia was dead.

In a separate development, another mother who lost an unborn baby has called for the reinstatement of medical cover at Bishop Auckland.

Clare Storey, 32, from Shildon, who was referred to Darlington after it was discovered her baby was in the breech position, believes her baby might be alive if Bishop Auckland still had medical facilities in maternity.

Hospital managers have been carrying out a review of the Harrisons' case during the past two days.

They issued a statement yesterday denying that the changes to maternity services had any influence on the loss of the Storey baby and expressing sympathy for the family's loss.

Her care had been "entirely appropriate", said a spokesman.