I was somewhat confused by the article in last week's Chronicle regarding the £2million spend on a luxurious birthing centre at West Middlesex Hospital.

Although I am only a mere male, I am also a father of two and grandfather of five, who appreciates any attempt to make the process of giving birth as comfortable as possible. But I do think from what I have read that this facility is rather exclusive and not in the spirit of the aims usually aspired to by the NHS.

It seems that only the healthiest of patients will benefit from this five star treatment. Surely the clinical need of all patients should be taken into account. By my calculations, the estimated rise in the number of births to 4,800 a year equates to approximately one birth in less than every two hours.

So I imagine the majority will be on their backs on beds elsewhere in the maternity unit. No curvy John Lewis beds for them.

The chief executive, Tara Donnelly, said in the article there is nothing else like it in the NHS. So we have a new phenomenon, births by postcode.

IAN WESTOLL Belgrave Road, Hounslow.