A look inside the new £1m maternity unit at Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital
Good Hope Hospital has unveiled its new £1 million maternity facility to support new mothers and babies.
Royal Sutton Coldfield Chronicle Week was given an exclusive look at the new Midwifery Led Unit, which has been entirely charity funded.
The University Hospitals Birmingham Charity say the new unit will give women a choice of birth and reassurance they are in the safest place they can be when delivering their new baby.
Maggie Coleman, Matron for Maternity Services at Good Hope Hospital, said: “It is hard to put into words just how much difference a Midwifery Led Unit will make to parents having their baby at Good Hope Hospital.
"Allowing midwives to focus on the mother’s needs and wishes before, during and after the birth, in a relaxed environment, helps to reduce the stress and anxiety of child birth.
"We believe it will give the mother and her baby the perfect start to their life together.”
The £1 million investment into Maternity services at Good Hope will have a direct benefit on the mother, baby and families.
The new unit is home to four new spacious and beautifully decorated birthing suites – Lavender, Camomile, Eucalyptus and Jasmine.
Two of the rooms include birthing pools.
They also incorporate brand new equipment such as birthing cubes, stargazer chairs and height adjustable cots to encourage family centred care and ensure everyone involved feels as comfortable as possible.
There are also two new overnight rooms which will provide a home away from home for mothers, a family dining/lounge area and its own entrance, all creating a more relaxed and less clinical environment which will have a positive impact on mother and baby.
The Friends of Good Hope donated £150,000 towards the project.
Fundraising Manager at University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, Laura Power said: “UHB Charity are so pleased with the new unit.
"It looks amazing, in fact, better than we could every have imagined.
"The project has been entirely charity funded, and we are so grateful to Friends of Good Hope and the support of the local community for making this project possible.
"With more than 3,500 babies born each year at Good Hope Hospital, the MLU will mean more mothers will be able to benefit from the support of midwives in a specialist unit.
"We cannot wait to hear about all the families who are have benefitted from our new unit.”
To support the new unit, and to donate to the hospital charity, please visit: https://www.hospitalcharity.org/
