Fears for mothers and babies amid rural health crisis

Rural general practice is "in crisis" and staff are burning out, a NSW parliamentary report says. (Julian Smith/AAP PHOTOS)

Doctors live in fear of an avoidable death of a mother or a baby as maternity services struggle, with the ailing NSW rural health system declared the worst it's been in years.

There are dire staff shortages across rural maternity care, general practice is "in crisis" and staff are burning out, according to a parliamentary committee report.