The long awaited birthing pool at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust Maternity Unit is now installed and ready to use.
The birthing pool room is large and spacious to encourage mobility, has ambient lighting above it which can be adjusted to suit individual tastes and also has the benefit of a pull down double bed. The Maternity team are absolutely delighted with the room, which has been completed to a high quality specification. We can’t wait for women planning to have their babies with us to use it!
The refurbishment project is running approximately 4 weeks behind schedule and we ask women to remain patient with us as the work continues. Work continues on the upgrade of the en suite facilities, meaning that a number of delivery rooms remain out of use. Temporary delivery rooms have been created on the unit, meaning that our capacity remains the same despite the environment looking different.
The Midwifery work station is currently being replaced, meaning that the intercom system and security cameras are temporarily out of use. During this phase of the refurbishment, Delivery Suite access and exit is via Pannal Ward. Doors to delivery suite remain secure, and the cotag (baby tag) system functions as normal.’
Although the completion of the rooms is behind schedule, the contractors are working very hard on accessing any other areas of the project they can complete. As a team we would also like to say how impressed we are with the contractors, who are polite, courteous and non-intrusive, despite working in difficult conditions.
Carpets on Pannal and Delivery Suite have been taken up and replaced with new wood effect flooring, which along with freshly painted walls makes the unit look fresh and spacious.
The Maternity Assessment Centre has also been completed, and is open Monday to Friday for maternity triage and antenatal day unit appointments. Again, the team are very pleased with the new area and feedback from women has been positive.
On behalf of the whole of the Maternity team, I would like to thank you for your patience during this time, and hope that you will enjoy the new look unit and its facilities once it is completed.
If you have any queries about the refurbishment, please speak to your Community or Hospital Midwife.
Customised Growth Chart Update
The Maternity team at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust would like to thank all of the women between 28 and 42 weeks pregnant, who we have recently contacted as part of our customised growth chart look back exercise, for their co-operation and support.
We have now contacted every woman in the identified group, and with the exception of a very small number we have yet to receive, we have viewed all of the growth charts kindly sent in to us.
We are delighted to say that the look back exercise has identified examples of excellent midwifery and obstetric practice. A very small number of women contacted required some amendment to their existing plan of care, but in the majority of cases we were reassured that care was appropriate and that growth scans and fundal height measurements have been plotted and acted on where necessary.
If anyone wishes to discuss their individual plan of care further, please contact your Community or Antenatal Clinic Midwife.
Sara Keogh, Head of Midwifery, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
