23 September 2009
The final pieces of equipment for St Helier Hospital's brand new birthing centre arrived this week, including a delivery of bean bags, birthing mats, swimming floats and birthing balls.
These items will help to put the finishing touches to the new birthing centre, which includes four newly designed birthing rooms and three birthing pools. Each new room is fitted with mood lighting which gently changes colour and specially designed birthing couches.
The state-of-the-art birthing centre cost £180,000 and was created as part of a £2.8 million overhaul of the entire St Helier maternity department.
Head of Midwifery, Sally Sivas said: "We're all very proud of the new birthing centre. It means that we can offer women who have had trouble-free pregnancies care that is designed to suit them in a home-from-home atmosphere.
"We believe that women and their partners should receive a service that is safe, respectful of their wishes and friendly, and this new birthing centre is the perfect place to deliver that.
"Women already receive fantastic one to one care from our midwives and with facilities like this birthing centre; our service will be second to none."
The project, which is being funded by the Trust's capital investment programme, has also seen the complete refurbishment of the neo-natal unit, where premature and sick babies get treated. £850,000 is also being spent on refurbishing the gynaecology ward and ante-natal clinics.
