BOSSES of a new state-of-the-art maternity facility which cost £12m to build have announced when it will open its doors to the public.

The new unit situated at Furness General Hospital in Barrow will officially start delivering babies on Valentines Day 2018.

The unit is comprised of 14 birthing rooms complete with ensuite bathrooms and has facilities for partners to stay over - four of the rooms also have birthing pools.

There are two dedicated operating theatres and a Special Care Baby Unit with four cots and a stabilisation room.

A dedicated Bereavement Suite forms the heart of the unit as well as a maternity assessment and a skills lab.

Timetable

A special committee met on November 16 to discuss the logistics of moving staff in and getting the premises ready for action and it is expected staff from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust can begin testing equipment from early December.

In the New Year, teams will start their four-week training before moving in by February.

During the move, both the new and old unit will be staffed to ensure a smooth transition for women and families ahead of the official opening.

A spokesman for UHMBT said: "We know how excited our staff, stakeholders and the local communities are about the new unit, and we share that excitement.

"Our staff and the public have really got behind our Bayb’s Maternity Appeal which aims to raise £250,000 to fund additional equipment, services and furnishings that will make all the difference to mums-to-be and their partners."

So far £175,000 has been raised for the unit.