MUMS-TO-BE had to be diverted away from York Hospital's 'full' maternity unit to Scarborough last Friday, officials have confirmed.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued a statement after a woman contacted The Press on Friday evening to claim the maternity ward had been 'closed due to low staff,' with expectant mothers told to go elsewhere.

A trust spokeswoman said today that there were occasions when it needed to temporarily divert women to other maternity units because it was full, and there were also occasions when York was asked to receive women from other local hospitals.

She said Friday was one such occasion, when women had to be diverted from York to Scarborough hospital, but normal admissions had resumed over the weekend.

"It’s part of how hospitals work together to meet unusually high demand or high numbers of admissions," she added.

*Was your baby born at Scarborough instead of York last Friday? Email mike.laycock@thepress.co.uk.