Women's safety will be compromised in Scotland unless 100 more specialists are provided over the next five years, senior medics have warned.
A report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the current number of hospital doctors and midwives would struggle to cope.
The report calls for an increase in the number of consultants and trainees.
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said regional planning groups would have a key role in maternity planning.
The RCOG said the problems would be created by the restrictions of a 48-hour working week being brought in by the Working Time Directive in 2009.
The organisation said the 148 consultants working in obstetrics and gynaecology would have to be increased to 250 by then.
The report called for action to improve clinical care for pregnant mothers by increasing direct contact with consultants on wards, and redesigning services to make the best use of "scarce" NHS resources.
Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh, Dr Laura Cassidy, Scottish chairwoman of the Royal College, said: "We have to look at innovative ways of providing the service.
"But I would doubt very much if there is any way that we are going to be able to continue to provide a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour cover of emergency labour wards unless there is expansion in specialist numbers in the next few years."
Source
A report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the current number of hospital doctors and midwives would struggle to cope.
The report calls for an increase in the number of consultants and trainees.
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said regional planning groups would have a key role in maternity planning.
The RCOG said the problems would be created by the restrictions of a 48-hour working week being brought in by the Working Time Directive in 2009.
The organisation said the 148 consultants working in obstetrics and gynaecology would have to be increased to 250 by then.
The report called for action to improve clinical care for pregnant mothers by increasing direct contact with consultants on wards, and redesigning services to make the best use of "scarce" NHS resources.
Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh, Dr Laura Cassidy, Scottish chairwoman of the Royal College, said: "We have to look at innovative ways of providing the service.
"But I would doubt very much if there is any way that we are going to be able to continue to provide a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour cover of emergency labour wards unless there is expansion in specialist numbers in the next few years."
Source