Exclusive look at the £12m South Lakes Birth centre at Furness General Hospital

The newly named South Lakes Birth Centre which sits on the site of Furness General hospital is due to open its doors the public on Valentines Day.

Contractors have now finished work on the specialist unit and have handed over the keys to staff from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Sascha Wells, director of midwifery, gynaecology and obstetrics at UHMBT, said: “This is a very exciting time for our teams and everyone in the Barrow area.

"South Lakes Birth Centre is everything we could ever want. It includes all of the facilities that the public has told us will make a real difference to women and families, and at 2,553 square metres, it is 85 per cent bigger than the current unit.

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“Some of our midwives, doctors and support workers have been walking through the same front door for nearly 30 years, so they are over the moon to be given the opportunity to be able to undertake their role in our brand new unit."

The centre, named by the public and staff, is made up of 14 en-suite birthing rooms with facilities for partners to stay over, two dedicated operating theatres, a Special Care Baby Unit, a Maternity Assessment area, a Transitional Care facility, a skills lab for staff training, and a Bereavement Suite.

The first women will be welcomed into the unit early February, ahead of its official opening on February 14 when Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock and Dr Bill Kirkup will do the honours.

Building started in September 2016 and has taken just under 15 months to complete.

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Throughout December, a period of commissioning took place to ensure equipment was tested and checked, and thorough cleaning could take place.

What happens next?

In the New Year, the multi-disciplinary teams will start their induction and training in the new unit, to ensure staff feel at home and fully equipped in the new centre.

During the move from the current maternity unit to the new site, both will be staffed to ensure a smooth transition for everyone.

How will it be different?

The trust have also been working closely with staff and families who lost loved ones following care at FGH as well as women and families that have used its maternity services in the past, in the hopes of providing the best possible service in the new unit.

Feedback has been gathered and some of the ideas that were given by staff, women and families were then incorporated into the final design.

This included:

• The facilities for birth partners to stay with the woman from admission to discharge home

• The skills lab which enables multi-disciplinary teams to learn and train together - this includes a state-of-the-art ‘Sim Mum’ that simulates various birthing situations and complications to allow staff to keep their clinical skills and decision making up to date

• The dedicated Bereavement Suite and garden – including what is in the suite and the décor

• Extra birthing pools

• The interior design of the final unit

• The final name of the unit - South Lakes Birth Centre

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A nod to the past

Lesley Bennett has worked closely with the trust to design the new maternity unit.

She said: “Our wish for the community was always to have a new unit and for us to be involved from the start on how it would look and what it contained. This has meant so much to the families involved and we believe that the improvements made in UHMBT’s maternity services have set standards in the wider NHS.

"With this new unit, I know the teams will continue to improve and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

“I am very proud to have been involved and worked closely with such a compassionate, innovative, driven and dedicated team and want to thank them all, especially Sascha Wells, Sue Smith, David Walker and Jackie Daniel for all their dedication and determination to get it right.”

The trust say they are committed to remembering those that are, tragically, no longer with us, and remain in regular conversation with a number of families about how they can best be remembered and appropriately commemorated in the new unit.

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A word from the chief executive

Jackie Daniel, chief executive of UHMBT, said: “When we announced the investment into the new Maternity Unit at FGH in March 2016, we hoped this would be part of a new beginning for staff, women, families and local people.

"As a trust, and indeed as a community, we will never forget the past nor how we ended up where we were but what we can absolutely commit to is that we will remember what happened by doing all we can every day to offer safe and high quality maternity services.

“The strength and determination shown by the families who lost loved ones has been nothing short of inspiring throughout and I can’t thank them enough for working with us to improve our services and design this fantastic new unit.

“I’d also like to thank our staff for putting everything into turning our maternity services around and making positive changes for the benefit of local people.

It hasn’t been easy for anyone involved but I genuinely believe that we now offer services that we can all be proud of.”

A new legacy

James Titcombe lost his son Joshua in 2008, following care at Furness General.

He said: “In recent years, the trust has worked incredibly hard to not just to learn lessons from the Kirkup investigation, but to set an example to the rest of the NHS in how to develop a truly safe and compassionate maternity service.

“The Trust and all the staff at FGH should be really proud of the work that’s been done. The new unit is fantastic news for families in Barrow and I hope can also become a lasting legacy for those who were let down in the past.

“The Trust has demonstrated what can be achieved through openness, honesty and a commitment to learn.”

Preview events for the public

Special previews have been arranged for the public to come in, take a look around and speak with staff about the facilities and the future plans.

The public preview events will take place on:

Saturday 13 January 2018

11.30am - 12.30pm

12.30pm - 1.30pm

4pm - 5pm

5pm - 6pm

Sunday 14 January 2018

9.30am - 10.30am

10:30am - 11:30am

11.30am - 12.30pm

12.30pm - 1.30pm

4pm - 5pm

5pm - 6pm

If you would like to reserve a place on a tour, visit www.uhmb.nhs.uk/hospitals/furness-general-hospital/your-new-maternity- unit/

Local campaigning voices have their say

MP for Barrow and Furness, John Woodcock, has long pressed for maternity services at FGH to be turned around and for facilities to be upgraded.

Recently, he obtained the backing of health secretary Jeremy Hunt for local campaigners to be commemorated in the new unit.

Mr Woodcock, said: “Thousands of people from all walks of life have been involved in our initiatives to bring about improvements and it is an exciting milestone for the keys of the new unit to be handed over to the Trust.

"In the past, some families were badly let down by failings at the hospital, but now we stand on the threshold of a new era and the South Lakes Birth Centre will provide the gold standard maternity care people have been calling for and deserve.”

Dr Geoff Jolliffe, is the vice clinical chair of Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group and is thrilled with the new development.

He said: “This is a fantastic development for women and families in the Furness area.

"The design of the maternity unit has been informed by local women’s views and echoes the enthusiasm and hard work of the maternity team who are working in new ways to meet the needs of the local population.”

Bayb's appeal

Fundraising is still continuing ahead of the unit's opening, in the form of the Bayb's Maternity Appeal, in connection with the Bay Hospitals charity.

The appeal has continued to go from strength to strength throughout this year, and continues to appeal for 'extras' not funded by the NHS such as furnishings and additional equipment.

Since March 2017, £175,000 has been raised with just £75,000 needed to reach the £250, 000 target.

“The generosity of local people never surprises me and this appeal is no different. On behalf of the trust, I’d like to thank everyone who has donated, held a fundraising event or donated items for us to sell on our various charity stalls. Every penny counts and will go towards those things that make a difference to the experience women and families get in our new unit,” added Mrs Daniel.

For more information on the appeal, visit: www.bayhospitalscharity.org/our- appeals-2-2