Walsall Healthcare’s £1.6m Maternity refurbishment is now well underway.

Phase two of the renovation works will start on the delivery suite and will include the bereavement rooms and a full refurbishment of the induction of labour area. Work will also start early in May on a new dedicated Maternity Unit entrance closer to the delivery suite and maternity wards.

Phase one of the £1.6m improvement focused on work to bring the Midwifery-Led Unit on site near to the delivery suite. It will include three ensuite birthing rooms, kitchen and sitting room for women and is expected to be completed in the summer.

Leanne O’Flaherty, Maternity Inpatient Matron, said: “Construction will be focused on the delivery suite area from early May and specifically around the dedicated entrance to Maternity Services.

“As with all major improvements, there will inevitably be some disruption and inconvenience but we are doing all we can to minimise this and thank everyone for their patience at this time. We would encourage women to raise any concerns they have with a member of the team or the Midwife looking after them and they can also contact us prior to any planned visit to discuss anything that is troubling them.

“We welcome the views of women and families using our Maternity Services as their feedback and suggestions help us to shape services and improvements such as this one. It is this feedback that is driving the bereavement suite refurbishment with the current rooms being repositioned to improve privacy for bereaved families, additional soundproofing of the rooms and updated ensuite facilities.”

Work is currently underway to link the Postnatal Wards to the new MLU.