Royal Preston Hospital’s maternity unit undergoes refurbishment

The newly refurbished delivery suite at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit.

Royal Preston Hospital’s maternity unit has undergone a £17,744.99 refurbishment, funded by charity Baby Beat.

A ‘beautiful birthing environment’ for women with complex pregnancy needs has been created at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit, which celebrates its 20th birthday next month.

Around 30 women per month, supported by their families, are expected to use the room.

The new room was co-designed by the unit’s midwifery team, with input from mothers-to-be, new mums and their birthing partners.

It had already been fitted with a new birthing pool. Now, the Baby Beat funding has meant the room could be fitted with mood lighting, a pull-down double bed, wall art and new furniture. Mum and baby monitoring equipment has also been hidden by bespoke trunking, making sure the room doesn’t feel overly medicated.

Joanna Allitt, fundraising manager for Baby Beat, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to help our midwifery colleagues create this amazing space for women with complex pregnancy needs. The refurbishment of the room will support women with complex pregnancy needs to birth in a beautiful environment, which can also provide the required level of mother and baby monitoring for their needs.

“In addition to our fantastic Baby Beat supporters, who have helped us achieve the funds to complete the refurbishment, I would also like to publicly thank the DJ Sidebottom/Glasdon Charitable Programme for its £2,000 donation towards the project, the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund for its grant, as well as two further charitable trusts, which together gave us £6,000 towards the work.”

The maternity suite before the refurbishment.

Baby Beat funds specialist equipment, patient services and comforts, clinical care, local research, additional training and staff welfare projects so that the maternity and gynaecology teams can offer the best possible outcomes for babies and mums.

Jo Lambert, Divisional Nursing and Midwifery Director added: “As a maternity service, we recognise the importance of a birth environment for families accessing care across all four of our birthplace locations. Based on the feedback of mothers-to-be, new mums, their birthing partners and staff, supported by Baby Beat, we have used thoughtful design to develop a beautiful environment for women with complex pregnancy needs to deliver their babies.

“By utilising the latest fetal and maternal monitoring equipment available, we can support these women in their birth preferences. As a regional medicine centre, we acknowledge the increasing complexity of the women accessing our maternity service. The opening of the room promotes choice and personalisation of care in a peaceful, supportive space for birth. We are confident that the room will have a significantly positive impact on the experience of care and satisfaction among those women using it.”

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