ONLY 10 women have used a new epidural service to ease labour pains since it was introduced at the Cumberland Infirmary in November.

Until then, any pregnant woman who wanted this form of pain relief had to travel to another hospital as it wasn’t available in Carlisle.

The procedure – a spinal anaesthetic injection which has grown in popularity with mothers-to-be – was already available at the West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven.

In 2014 inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) flagged up the lack of epidural service in Carlisle as a key area for improvement for bosses at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust. At the time, the Cumberland Infirmary was one of only a few consultant-led units in the country not offering the service to women in labour.

Trust bosses said they were keen to introduce it, but a shortage of anaesthetists was making it difficult.

It was finally made possible in November. In the two months since it was launched, only 10 women have opted for the injection, which numbs the lower body.

Gail Naylor, director of nursing and midwifery at the trust, said: “It is important to us that we can offer women in labour a range of options and we are pleased that the epidural service is now available at the Cumberland Infirmary thanks to hard work and commitment from both the midwifery and anaesthetic teams.

“Staff have really embraced the challenge and invested their time to make it a success, which has been fantastic to see.”

Labour epidurals involve the inserting of a small plastic tube into the back. They can only be inserted by a suitably trained anaesthetist, prompting hospital chiefs to introduce a new staffing structure.

Women considering an epidural are being told that their availability depends on how busy the delivery suite or anaesthetist is and there may be occasions when it is not possible to give one.

Most women in labour are eligible to have an epidural if they wish, but there may be certain conditions and complications that mean it is not a suitable option.