New midwifery-led birthing unit opens at South Tyneside District Hospital

Members of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust's Maternity team, including Jacqui Ramshaw, who will manage the new birthing centre, back row, third from left

A new midwife-led birthing centre at South Tyneside District Hospital has opened today.

From 9am on Monday 5 August, a new midwife-led birthing unit will open at South Tyneside District Hospital, giving more choice on where to give birth for local women across South Tyneside and Sunderland.

The new midwife-led birthing centre at South Tyneside District Hospital will provide a relaxing ‘home from home’ birthing experience for women with low risk pregnancies who have not experienced any complications.

It will be run by highly experienced midwives for families who are keen to have a natural birth with minimum intervention.

Open 24/7, the midwives will provide one-to-one personalised care in a calm, welcoming and relaxing atmosphere to help parents to bond with their baby in those first few, precious hours.

For women with high pregnancies, for example if they are expecting twins, if their baby is in the breech position, or if they have experienced complications, either in their current pregnancy or a previous pregnancy, they will be advised to give birth in the Trust’s consultant-led maternity unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

This is rated amongst the best in the NHS according to the latest Care Quality Commission maternity survey.

All other aspects of planned local maternity services will stay the same, with pregnant women continuing to access the majority of antenatal and postnatal care locally, just as they do now, including all planned hospital appointments and community care.

Sheila Ford, Head of Midwifery at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The birth of a child is an amazing, life-changing time and our fantastic maternity team is dedicated to making sure women have a wonderful experience with us.

"Over the past year, our midwives have been busy visiting other midwifery-led units across the NHS to make sure we learn from the very best and we all feel very passionately about making our new birthing centre in South Tyneside a success.

“Giving birth under midwifery-led care is just as safe as giving birth under consultant-led care for those women with low risk pregnancies and we are excited to be able to offer something different to our local population and ultimately give local women more choice.”

Book a tour of a maternity unit

0191 4041033 for the midwifery-led birthing centre, South Tyneside District Hospital

0191 5699777 for the consultant-led maternity unit, Sunderland Royal Hospital