The RUH in Bath will receive a share of a £10m fund to help deliver homely environments and new equipment as part of the maternity care at the hospital.
The announcement, by Maternity Minister Dr Dan Poulter, explained how the fund is being awarded to trusts as part of the government’s drive to improve maternity care for women and babies.
The RUH is expected to receive £120,500 to aid the provision of a still birth delivery facility. The funding will support the renovation of a previously used delivery room into a discrete space for the delivery of still-birth pregnancies.
Don Foster MP, who welcomed the announcement of the funding, said: “This money will really help the hospital get this new facility up and running. We all know how sensitive this issue is and it is so important that we do everything possible to try and help the patients who have to go through this traumatic experience.”
The fund has been allocated to 63 Trusts across the country and will help to improve the settings where women receive care before, during and after birth. The funding will also give women more choice of place of birth.
Commenting further, James Scott, Chief Executive of Royal United Hospital, added: “We are delighted that we will be running maternity services both at the RUH and also the community birthing centres in Trowbridge, Chippenham, Frome, Paulton and Shepton Mallet from 1 June.
“The funding we have secured from the Department of Health will enable us to provide a bereavement suite at the RUH. We know that delivering a still born baby is a traumatic experience for families and we want to ensure that families are cared for in a bespoke area. Work on the suite will be completed by the summer.
“We are looking forward to working with patients, our new staff, and all our other stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive, holistic maternity service over the next three years.”
