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Four women and seven children died on the labour wards within the space of a year.

The trust is now one of six regarded as 'high risk' by Sir Mike Richards, the new Chief Inspector of Hospitals. It will be one of the first to be targeted by the new inspection regime.

A study by Professor Sir Brian Jarman, the world expert on hospital performance, calculated over the past three years there had been 526 "excess" deaths at the trust over the last three years, above what would be considered the norm.

Just 47 per cent of doctors and nurses working at the trust would recommend their family be treated there, according to an internal NHS survey, making it one of the poorest-rated hospitals in the country. The trust has also experienced financial difficulties.

Averil Dongworth, the chief executive, said: "Recruiting and retaining high quality, permanent doctors in the emergency department has been a major challenge. There is a national shortage and we, along with many other trusts, are looking to recruit experienced doctors overseas.

"We are working with specialist recruitment companies in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, India and the UAE to find high-calibre staff."

Last week only 81 per cent of people attending the casualty departments were seen within four hours, below the national target of 95 per cent.