Birthing unit benefits from 'calming' new look

Walsall Healthcare's Well Wishers charity provided about £7,000 towards wall art and kitchen equipment

A hospital charity has spent thousands of pounds on wall art and kitchen equipment for a new midwife-led maternity unit in Walsall.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust's Well Wishers charity funded about £7,000 of "finishing touches" to help would-be parents feel at home.

The midwifery-led unit (MLU) reopened last month after relocating to Walsall Manor Hospital from a standalone centre.

Fundraising Manager Georgie Westley said the "relaxing images" created a "calming environment" in the unit.

The trust said the images made the MLU "more welcoming" for parents

She added the charity was proud to fund the artworks, which had been supplied by Grosvenor Interiors.

Kitting out the unit's kitchen with a microwave, kettle, crockery and cutlery would provide a "homely feel", she said, and give comfort to "nervous parents".

The MLU, which has been relocated next to the hospital's maternity unit, offers three rooms with birthing pool and one-on-one care in labour, the trust said.

It was moved after feedback to Walsall’s Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership and a Black Country Integrated Care Board survey showed families would prefer an on-site centre.

Rickell Bailey, MLU Manager, said the unit had received some "lovely, positive comments from families".

“When the lights are low you can actually visualise being in the lake whilst in the birthing pool," she added.

The hospital was criticised for its maternity staffing levels by the CQC in 2021, which found the service required improvement.