INITIAL feedback following the launch of plans for an £11m state of the art maternity centre for Barrow has been excellent, hospital bosses say.

The proposal - including artists impressions of how the new unit could look when constructed in the grounds of Furness General Hospital - have been showcased at events across the area over the last month.

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Now the opinions  of residents, pregnant women and hospital staff are all being considered as the next stage of the ambitious development gets under way.

The man at the helm of the project, Dr David Walker, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust's medical director, said: "Over the last three weeks, we have been holding public engagement sessions at each of our five sites across Morecambe Bay. 

"The purpose of these events was to give members of the public a chance to look at the plans we have developed for the new maternity unit at Furness General Hospital, and talk directly to the staff and service users who produced them."

Dr Walker added: "Overall, feedback from the events has been very positive, and there is certainly a lot of excitement for a new maternity unit in Barrow. 

"All of the feedback that we received at the events has been collected and will be passed on to the project group - made up of staff, service users and stakeholders - for consideration. 

"If this group feels that the suggestions will improve the plans further and are within the agreed budget, they will then be incorporated into the final design."

A formal planning application for the unit was set to be submitted to Barrow Borough Council last week.

If permission is granted, it is hoped groundwork could begin this autumn in the hope it will be completed and ready to use by December 2017.

A final decision by hospital bosses on how the exterior of the building should look - with two options available - is expected to be taken by the end of May.

Dr Walker has now pledged the views of the public will continue to be used to inform decisions about the maternity unit wherever possible.

He said: "As the unit is being built, there will be lots of opportunities for the public to get involved, including asking your opinions on the best colours and decoration for the birthing rooms and unit in general."

The plan to build a new maternity unit, complete with en-suite rooms, a new special care baby unit and two dedicated operating theatres, at Furness General Hospital was officially unveiled last month.

The move to modern, purpose-built facilities at the Dalton Lane site was one of the recommendations laid out by Dr Bill Kirkup in his Morecambe Bay Investigation Report published last March.