MORE than £185,000 has been secured to upgrade two maternity inpatient wards at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage.
The cash was allocated from a new £25m pot from the Department of Health aimed at improving maternity services across the country.
East and North Herts Trust’s head of midwifery Christine Bell said: “With our brand new £16.4m Diamond Jubilee Maternity Unit having just been opened, we were not sure whether or not any bid would be successful.
“But we also knew our two existing maternity wards, which now only look after those mothers needing to stay a few days in hospital following the birth of their babies, needed refurbishing.
“The work will take place on the wards over the coming months and when finished, it will help bring both up to the same high standard as the rest of our maternity service. This is great news for our mothers who stay with us for a few days whilst they or their babies need such care and attention.”
The majority of the £185,754 will be spent on refurbishing the Gloucester and Dacre wards, and includes:
* Refurbishment of existing bathrooms on the antenatal and postnatal wards to provide wet rooms that support easy access for mothers, as well as providing toilet facilities for partners, which are currently not available.
* Provision of recliner chairs for birth partners in ward areas.
* Purchase of birthing stools and baby cots with adjustable heights.
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