Birth services set to resume at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal

Birth services set to resume at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal

Birth services at the Helme Chase unit at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal are set to restart next week.

Birth services at WGH had to be temporarily suspended in April 2024 due to a shortage of midwives, but following a successful recruitment campaign, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT), has confirmed the facility will reopen on Monday, February 10.

UHMBT say they’ve put robust plans in place to ensure that there will continue to be 24-hour midwifery on-call services for Helme Chase births and home births.

Helme Chase is a midwife-led unit, and women can give birth there 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, supported by a midwife. Midwife-led units are for pregnancies where it is unlikely that there will be any serious complications. All midwives are trained to manage any emergencies which may occur.

Birth services are different to the Maternity services offered by UHMBT at the South Lakes Birth Centre at Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow and at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, which are both consultant-led units. Maternity services at the RLI and FGH have remained open for births during the temporary suspension of birth services at WGH.

Susan Foyle, Director of Midwifery, UHMBT, said: “We are pleased to be restarting birth services at Helme Chase for women and families wishing to have a midwife-led birth. It’s important that women have the choice of where and how they would like to give birth. We are looking forward to welcoming families over the coming months.”

Samantha Connelly, Helme Chase Unit Manager and a midwife by profession, said: “Helme Chase has a real family feel and we pride ourselves on providing safe, personalised care and support throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond. We are delighted to be offering our midwife-led unit at Kendal as a choice of place of birth for families.”

Helme Chase offers antenatal and postnatal services, antenatal education, vaccination clinics, ultrasound scanning and consultant-led clinics. The unit has more than 20 members of staff, including midwives, support workers and ward clerks. It has a birthing pool, mood lighting, birthing balls and slings to support safe active birth.