Maternity unit to get £100k upgrade

A maternity unit in Hull is to get a £100,000 upgrade aimed at improving care and support for expectant parents.

The triage unit at Hull Women and Children's Hospital, on Anlaby Road, will be given a separate entrance to support families receiving difficult news, along with an additional clinical room and an accessible toilet.

Bosses said the unit, which opened in 2023 and sees up to 70 patients a day, provided a 24-hour, seven-day service for people experiencing concerns during pregnancy or early labour.

Angela Rymer, maternity matron, said the new entrance meant "families receiving bad news will not have to walk through a packed waiting room, so we can offer a more appropriate service to them".

Patients are assessed in the triage unit before being directed to appropriate departments such as the antenatal unit, labour ward or emergency services.

NHS Humber Health Partnership said the improvements to the unit would make a difference to families.

Wendy McKenzie, a charge midwife for antenatal care, said: "The new clinical room is an excellent addition to the facilities and is somewhere for our staff to have personal conversations with patients, allowing them the time and space to understand what is happening to them and how we can help."

The trust said triage services were introduced following a national review by senior midwife Donna Ockenden in 2022.

In 2024, the hospital ran an appeal to raise £100,000 to improve facilities for families who lost babies.

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