Britain has the shortest maternity stays and among the fewest doctors, hospital beds and cancer scanners in Europe, a damning report shows.

The study by the Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD) comes as NHS managers draw up plans for sweeping cutbacks to hospital services.

The new research suggests NHS services are already under worse strain than most countries across Europe, with the third lowest beds for its population.

Midwives say pressure to send new mothers home early is leading to “conveyor belt care” with too many rushed out of hospital before they have recovered.

British mothers spend the least time in hospital when they give birth, with an average stay of just 1.5 days - less than half the EU average of 3.2 days, the study shows.