New "state-of-the-art" birth centre opens at Salisbury Hospital
The Beatrice Birth Centre welcomes its first mums today
A new birthing unit has opened in Salisbury, offering mums a "middle ground alternative" to the traditional hospital birth and home birth.
The Beatrice Birth Centre at Salisbury District Hospital, which welcomes its first mothers today (31 October), aims to offer a "safe, friendly environment" suitable for women who have had a healthy pregnancy and are expecting to have a straightforward birth.
Women can choose to give birth in the centre even if for first babies.
The centre has two spacious rooms and includes a birthing pool, birthing aids such as balls and mats, and aromatherapy.
There are also "state-of-the-art" facilities such as screens to connect to devices via Bluetooth or USBs and adjustable lighting.
Director of Maternity and Neonatal Services at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Joanne Hayward, explained why it was important to improve the service:
"This is all about providing personalisation and choice for the women of Salisbury. We're able to offer three types of birth service: home birth, midwife-led care birth in our new birthing unit and an obstetric-led birth as well.
"When the National Strategy Better Birth was written, women told us that they wanted more choices of places of birth. They wanted to be able to be alongside an obstetric unit or a hospital, but they wanted to have a midwife-led low risk birth, hence we've got the birthing unit.
"I think (the new birthing centre) will be popular for women who are low risk as it is alongside an obstetric unit in the hospital, so for many women this is very reassuring that if there were some problems in their labour or their birth, that there is help on hand in an emergency.
"The community midwife will discuss with mothers-to-be where they would like to birth their baby and if the Beatrice Birth Centre is the right place for them."
The Beatrice Birth Centre, along with a new entrance and reception, and courtyard garden have been made possible thanks to funding from the Local Maternity and Neonatal System and £260,000 of funding from the Stars Appeal, the hospital’s charity.
Three local people, Miss Margaret Smith, Mrs Joan Joyce and Mrs Jean Finniss, who left gifts to the Stars Appeal in their wills helped to pay for the new facilities and have been recognised on a plaque within the Centre alongside other Stars Appeal donors.
Dave Cates of the Stars Appeal said:
“We are incredibly proud of this wonderful Birthing Centre that, along with the new entrance and garden, will help thousands of local families welcome babies over the years to come.
"None of this would be possible without our supporters and we are so grateful to Miss Smith, Mrs Joyce, Mrs Finniss for their exceptional generosity and to everyone who has contributed towards this project.”