A BBC report has revealed more than 100 maternity staff are taking legal action against the Trust that runs Basildon Hospital after being exposed to "hazardous" levels of nitrous oxide.

The staff, who include midwives and healthcare assistants, all worked at the hospital between 2018 and 2023.

The problems were first reported in a Nub News story in December 2022.

141 claims for compensation have nbow been recorded.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Trust has already paid out £89,000 in settlements over claims staff were exposed to "excessive and foreseeably dangerous" levels of Entonox, which is often called gas and air.

The trust has apologised and said it "should have acted faster to address the issues".

Entonox is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that is used as pain relief for women giving birth. Levels can build up quickly in the air without adequate ventilation.

The gas, colloquially known as ;laughing gas' was released on maternity units when cannisters were connected, birthing mothers exhaled, and when the equipment was faulty, according to papers filed at the High Court.

Maternity staff were exposed to gas levels up to 30 times higher than the legal workplace exposure limit, an internal hospital report found.

One female staff member taking part in the legal action, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC she and her colleagues had been "poisoned".

The way they were treated was a "massive kick in the teeth" and it had caused widespread anger, she said.

"A lot of people were suffering from chronic fatigue, constant headaches, low vitamin B12, which was subsequently causing things like heart palpitations and very foggy heads," she said.

They were seeking "justice for the staff" who "work tirelessly" to safely deliver babies, she added.

"You've got people sitting in offices that need to be held accountable for their actions," she said.

In another case, a midwife said she had collapsed at work due to the symptoms, which included headaches, low mood and anxiety.

Another claimant said she had experienced pain in her hands and feet.

Other symptoms listed in the court filing include "excessive fatigue and irritability".

The women are seeking damages for personal injury in excess of £1,500.