BARROW will once again be greeted by royalty as a special dignitary is soon to head to Furness General Hospital.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will be paying a special visit to South Lakes Birth Centre at Furness General Hospital as part of her role as Patron to The Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

HRH The Princess Royal, along with the Lord Lieutenant, Kathryn Gutteridge, RCM President, and Gill Walton, RCM Chief Executive, will meet with midwifery staff and the mothers and babies they care for at the £12million state-of-the-art unit in Barrow.

The visit will also include a tour of the unit and a meeting with stakeholders and senior leaders of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) which manages Furness General Hospital.

Carol Carlile, Head of Midwifery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, UHMBT, said: “We are truly honoured to be one of only a few maternity units in the country to receive such a special visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

“It means a great deal to all of us to be recognised in this way, and we are really looking forward to having the opportunity to highlight the great work that happens at the South Lakes Birth Centre every single day.”

Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCM, said: “I am really looking forward to this visit to show HRH The Princess Royal the wonderful new Birth Centre at the trust.

“It will also be an opportunity to show her the excellent work being done there by midwives, maternity support workers and the wider maternity team for the women, babies and their families in the area.”

Taking place in September 2019, this will be the first royal visit to the South Lakes Birth Centre after being officially opened on February 14 2018 following 15 months of building work.

HRH The Princess Royal previously visited Barrow back in January.

On that occasion The Princess Royal spent several hours meeting Barrow foodbank’s volunteer team to learn more about the local services they provide.

Foodbank project manager Ann Mills gave The Princess Royal an in-depth tour around the charity’s facilities.

After this she also attended The Hub's Project John at Cavendish Street in Barrow.

The Princess Royal officially opened the new building run by Project John, a charity for young people, and met with the partnerships that operate in The Hub as well as some of the young people.

Other dignitaries were also present at the unveiling, including MP John Woodcock and former Barrow Mayor Bill McEwan.