THE University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust has successfully delivered 2,957 babies over the course of 2017 and 2018.

That number of births averages out to just under 22 babies a day from the start of 2017 to now across the trust’s hospitals.

As part of celebrating 70 years of the NHS this year University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust were very happy to celebrate such a high number of births in the area.

Roz McMeeking, matron for gynaecology, UHMBT, said: “I have spent the majority of my career working on this ward and a lot of mums, dads and babies come through it.

“My mum has always said to me that when you go to work you are going to be part of someone’s special day and I think we as midwives really appreciate that. It is a real privilege.”

UHMBT has been celebrating 70 years of the NHS throughout this year after the NHS’s official birthday in July.

Speaking earlier this year at the NHS birthday celebrations at UHMBT, Matthew Bradley, waiting list co-ordinator, said: “I’m immensely proud to be a part of a national institution.

“We’re all here because we care and it’s good to spend time celebrating how decades of that same attitude has brought us this far..”

The trust covers the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Ulverston Community Health centre, as well as Furness General Hospital, Queen Victoria Hospital, and Westmorland General.

UHMBT is also celebrating it’s own birthday this year after being set up 20 years ago after merging Lancaster Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Westmorland Hospitals NHS Trust and Furness Hospital NHS Trust.

Alongside a population of around 365,000 in the region to look after, the trust has it’s work cut out for it when it comes to care as it only staffs around 8,000 people.

The turmoil with the NHS as a whole in recent years has done nothing to dampen the spirits of staff it seems. Instead taking time to celebrate such big milestones.

The main celebrations for NHS 70 took place in July on the official anniversary of the NHS’s launch, with UHMBT holding tea parties and barbecues throughout the afternoon.