ONLY three mums have been turned away from Poole Hospital’s maternity unit in the past six months.

The busy unit, which sees more than 4,600 births a year, recently underwent a £4m refurbishment to increase capacity by 13 beds. It now has 61 beds and birthing pools, with a fifth due to open soon.

A spokesman for the hospital said that, at no time since March has the unit, with the low risk Haven Birthing Suite and the Central Delivery suite, been closed to all patients.

She added: “There are rare occasions when lower risk patients may be diverted to other local units such as the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, to ensure we can maintain capacity for higher risk patients.

“But during the last six months, only three women were diverted to RBH. No mums were diverted to a unit outside East Dorset.”