A state-of-the-art birthing unit officially opened at Helston Community Hospital last autumn has yet to welcome its first expectant mother.

The £216,000 unit, which has remained unused since being opened last September, is finally due to open for business on February 1.

Difficulties in appointing a cleaner are among a number of factors being blamed for the delay, which has frustrated mothers-to-be keen to give birth in a traditional hospital setting without having to travel to Truro.

The project to establish the unit was led by the West Cornwall Primary Care Trust, which made a successful bid for Government funding aimed at modernising maternity services and chose Helston as the best location for a new facility.

Alison Cook, the trust's community and primary services manager for the Kerrier district, admitted there had been "various problems" in getting the unit up and running.

She said: "We had difficulty finding a cleaner, although someone was recruited before Christmas so that is one hurdle we are over. We also had to organise training for all the midwives in the trust area, not just the Helston girls. There are over 25 of them and any of them could be called on to work at the unit. We also had a slight problem with the building. There is always something that needs adjusting after the builders have left and that had to be sorted out."

Mrs Cook said the delay in allowing expectant mothers to use the much-anticipated facility was "unfortunate".

"We put people's expectations up by holding the opening and in hindsight maybe we should not have done that," she said. "The people who have built it and funded it all want to have an opening but maybe we should have waited.

"The midwives are keen to use it, and there has been quite a lot of interest, particularly in Helston. Hopefully, it will be available for use from February 1."

The fully-equipped unit, which will specialise in low-risk births, boasts facilities including a birthing pool and emergency equipment in case babies need extra care after they are born.

It will not be staffed around the clock, but will come into action when a woman goes into labour. New mothers will return home soon after giving birth.

Midwives in Helston originally came up with the idea for the unit and carried out a survey of women's views on maternity services in support of the proposal.

In addition to funding from the NHS Modernisation Agenda and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the project was supported by the New Opportunities Fund and the hospital's League of Friends.