John Reid, the Health Secretary, said yesterday that urgent action was being taken to address growing concerns about a high number of deaths at Northwick Park Hospital, in northwest London. The Healthcare Commission, which monitors hospital standards, wrote to Mr Reid demanding immediate action after an inquiry showed “serious system failures” at the hospital’s maternity unit caused by staff shortages. Ten women have died at the hospital, where about 5,000 births take place annually, in the past three years — five times the national average. An average of about one mother in 8,700 dies in childbirth in Britain.

An inquest was told in February that Premalatha Jeevagan died shortly after giving birth at the hospital when doctors failed to realise that she had suffered a womb haemorrhage. The hospital insisted that new procedures and protocols had been put into place after her death last May. But on learning this month of the death of another mother at the unit, the Healthcare Commission decided to carry out an unannounced spot check, which revealed that problems had still not been addressed.

The commission said that while there was no evidence of a link between the ten deaths, it would now begin an investigation into each of them to be absolutely sure.

In his letter to Mr Reid, Sir Ian Kennedy, the commission’s chairman, asked for special measures to be taken immediately at the hospital, which is part of North West London Hospitals NHS Trust. It is only the second time that the commission has used such powers.

The trust asked the commission to start an investigation into its maternity services in August last year. In December, the trust agreed to take urgent action to remedy any problems, but this month the commission found that that had not been carried out. “We found serious problems with these services and no longer had sufficient confidence that the trust could resolve them without external help,” Sir Ian said yesterday. “Under these circumstances, we must take immediate action to protect the safety of patients.”

The commission made a series of recommendations, including the introduction of extra clinicians and monitoring, which have been accepted by the Government. Mr Reid said yesterday that in order to relieve pressure on maternity services at the unit, elective Caesarean deliveries would be undertaken at the private Portland Hospital in Central London. Celebrities, including Victoria Beckham and Claudia Schiffer, have given birth at the Portland.

The Health Secretary also said that Professor Arul Kumaran, from St George’s Hospital, in southwest London, would lead a team of doctors and midwives to ensure the clinical care and safety of mothers and babies at the unit.

Daily clinical supervision will be provided through a clinical partnership with Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, through Queen Charlotte’s Hospital. The National Clinical Governance Support Team, led by Professor Aidan Halligan, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, will provide support and assistance to address concerns about working relationships in the maternity unit.

Mr Reid said that to enable the actions to be implemented, he had also agreed additional financial support to the trust.

Sir Ian said: “With this outside help, the trust should be able to resolve this matter quickly. As well as the recommended clinical team, the trust has a new acting chief executive and a new medical director. They, and the staff on the unit, will get our full backing as they work to get services up to standard.”

The trust has also set up an information line to provide reassurance to women using the hospital’s maternity services.

Mary Wells, the trust’s chief executive, welcomed the special measures because they would “provide external clinical support for the service and additional resources to improve our staffing levels and increase our capacity.

“We would like to reassure mothers that they may be confident in continuing to use the maternity unit at Northwick Park,” Ms Wells said. “However, we have identified alternative bed spaces at other units for elective Caesareans.

“The maternity unit will remain on special measures until the Department of Health, Healthcare Commission, North West London Strategic Health Authority and Trust are happy that we are providing the high standard of services mothers should expect from the NHS.”

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