12.11.12
£25m maternity ward boost announced
Extra funding for maternity wards will provide ensuites and beds for partners, the Government has announced. The £25m initiative endeavors to keep couples and families close together during childbirth.
The money will also be used to provide separate rooms for mothers who have lost their babies during childbirth, which ensures that they will not have to share wards with new mothers.
The online information service will be extended. Previously, the service provided advice for families with children up to the age of 6 months old; the service will now provide advice up to the age of 18 months.
Material on post-natal depression will be produce to advise new families on the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Health minister Dan Poulter said: “A new arrival in the family is a joyous time but can present challenges for mums and families, particularly new families. I want to help women and their partners as much as possible.”
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “£25m is a relatively small sum compared to the annual budget for maternity services of around £2.5bn. However it will help to make changes to the environment which can improve care and the fact that women are going to be part of the process of deciding how the money will be spent is very positive.
“I hope the Government ensures the money is accessible to those on the front line easily and quickly, and that systems for getting the money are simple. I hope to see all these positive commitments become a reality and translate into better care for women and their babies.”
The new funding comes as figures show 4,600 more babies were born in England in January to March 2012 than in the year before; suggesting the baby boom is restarting.
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