Hospital awarded £400,000 to improve maternity care

It’s great news for expectant mums as the money will be spent increasing the numbers of birthing pools at the hospital in Redhill from 1 to 4.

And the team want to say a big thank you to all the new parents who helped them win the grant – in just a few days 430 people filled out surveys supporting the unit.

Staff are wasting no time putting the cash to good use; work in the department will start straight away and should be finished by the end of March.

Maternity chief nurse Michelle Cudjoe said: “Mums and dads told us they wanted a more homely environment and more birthing pools and this is what we based our bid on. This money allows us to give women a choice in how and where they give birth”.

The staff at the hospital deliver more than 5,000 babies a year, making it one of the busiest maternity units in the area. Birthing pools are chosen by many women as a way of helping to manage pain during labour. One of the new pools will go into the high risk area so women who have complications during labour will also have the chance to use a pool.

The award is part of a £25 million investment programme by the NHS in maternity facilities and was the largest amount given to a hospital in this area.

Chief Executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Michael Wilson said: “I am delighted that East Surrey has been awarded the grant. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made this happen. This investment illustrates the NHS’s commitment to improving maternity services and East Surrey’s innovative approach.”

The hard work of the maternity team was also rewarded recently when the department’s standards were reviewed and scored top marks - 100 per cent. The assessment process focused on how the hospital manages the safety of women and their babies.