There is a "serious" shortage of nurses providing neonatal care and hospitals are struggling to meet demand, a committee of MPs have said.

Each of England's 178 neonatal units had to close its doors once a week on average during 2006-07, with the MPs warning of "major implications for patient safety".

And five years after an ordered reorganisation, two areas have failed to fully implement the changes, the Commons Public Accounts Committee said.

The MPs also found that a third of units operated above the recommended occupancy rate of 70 per cent.

Tory Edward Leigh, who chairs the committee, said: "The serious shortages of neonatal nurses must be addressed. Only half of the networks provide round-the-clock transport services to transfer babies to other units for the right levels of specialist care.

"And high occupancy rates in a third of units could have major implications for patient safety, owing to increased risk of infection or inadequate staffing levels."

Shadow health minister, Anne Milton, said: "The report illuminates endemic problems in capacity, recruitment, training and financial management, which represent a disjointed approach to neonatal care.

"The Government is letting mothers down because of a chronic lack of organisation and direction."

Dr Sheila Shribman, the Government's national clinical director for children, young people and maternity services, welcomed the report.

She added: "We are committed to delivering real improvements for mothers and babies and have made neonatal services a top priority for the NHS.

"Spending on neonatal services increased from £655 million in 2003/04 to £802 million in 2006/07 - an increase of 22 per cent.

"However, we recognise there is still more to do and we have established a Neonatal Taskforce to support the NHS to identify and deliver real improvements to neonatal services."

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