IMPROVING PATIENT EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
Date: 29th November 2013
Agenda No:
Title of Document: Improving Birthing Environments and Facilities Within Croydon
University Hospital NHS Trust Maternity Unit, 2012/2013
Attached documents :
Report Author: Gina Brockwell, Consultant Midwife
Lead Director: Ann Morling, Director of Midwifery
Summary: Croydon Maternity Unit has received investment to improve facilities within
the maternity unit. Views of service users were gained via the Maternity Services Liaison
Committee (MSLC), prior to applying for funding, which contributed to the plans to
improve the birth environment.
Funding was gained in December 2013 from the Department of Health following a
successful bid by the Trust to improve the birth environment for women and their
families. The views of service users were sought via the Maternity Services Liaison
Committee (MSLC), prior to applying for funding. The maternity unit multidisciplinary
team contributed to the plans to improve the birth environment, in collaboration with the
MSLC.
Further financial investment was made by Croydon Health Services to improve facilities
within the maternity service during 2012 and 2013.
In 2012/13, the total capital refurbishment spend on Maternity was as follows:
 Maternity Environment Works + Refurbishment of Birth Centre £261k
 Maternity Improving Birthing Environments (part of £25m DoH bid funding) £309k
Refurbishment works were completed in June 2013.
The following areas have benefited in the refurbishment and upgrade of facilities:1) Refurbishment and re-design of the alongside birth centre, to create 2 larger
birthing rooms with 2 larger birthing pools, en-suite facilities, mood lighting, and 3
newly refurbished postnatal rooms.
2) Equipment in the birth centre to create a relaxing environment and facilitate active
labour and birth (beanbags, birthing balls, mood lighting, bubble lamps, laser
lights to project star lights across the ceiling).
3) Conversion of a reception room in the birth centre into an early labour room with
equipment to aid comfort and mobility in early labour.
4) Refurbishment of Mary ward (postnatal ward) to improve facilities, including the
addition of shower and bathroom facilities for male partners.
5) Reclining chairs by all beds for partners to stay overnight.
6) Newly built reception area in the entrance to the maternity unit.
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7) Alteration building works to the triage area to incorporate a fetal medicine unit and
a triage facility.
8) A new birthing pool installed in Delivery Suite room 7.
Benefits to Maternity Service Users and their Families:
Women and their families/friends will be greeted and directed to ward areas on
arrival to the maternity unit by a member of the reception staff to improve
customer service and user experience.

Partners of women are now able to stay overnight and use male shower rooms
and a WC on the postnatal ward. This was a request made by service users and
has improved the experience and satisfaction of hospital stay for both women and
their partners. The change in visiting hours for partners to be able to stay at night
is a change in culture within the maternity service by further enhancing the family
friendly service and helping to improve the family relationships during and after
childbirth.

Midwives have also noted the improved environment for women and their families
and women’s increased satisfaction when their partner is able to stay overnight.

The alongside birth centre has received extensive refurbishment to create larger
birthing rooms with en-suite facilities. The 2 birthing rooms have benefited from 2
larger birthing pools which provide women with the option of hydrotherapy for pain
relief during their labour and birth. The use of hydrotherapy during labour has also
been shown to reduce the need for epidural anaesthesia, medical interventions
and increase normal birth rates, which can subsequently increase women’s
satisfaction of their childbirth experience.

The installation of a birthing pool within the Delivery Suite improves the options of
pain relief for women who have some obstetric risk factors, and where care is
recommended from the maternity team within the Delivery Suite.

The reception room within the birth centre was not used regularly by women or
their visitors and has been converted into an ‘early labour 1st stage room’ to
provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for women to spend time if they
wish, which should enhance their overall childbirth experience.

The early labour room has been equipped with bean bags, birthing balls, mood
lighting, sensory lighting bubble lamps a water cooler for drinks and dimmed
lighting, which all enhance the birth environment to facilitate normal birth and a
positive birth experience for women and their birthing partners. Plans to purchase
further equipment are in place to assist women in adopting active birth positions
which helps to assist positioning and descent of the baby through the maternal
pelvis and thereby increasing normal birth rates which have positive health
benefits for both mothers and babies.

Plans are in place to also use wireless continuous fetal heart rate (FHR)
monitoring via telemetry for women who wish to use the Delivery Suite pool for
hydrotherapy. When women have more complex care needs, it is recommended
that continuous monitoring of the FHR is needed for the safety of the unborn
baby.
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
Refurbishment of the Fetal Assessmet Unit and Triage (which are currently
separate services in their location) will be located together to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of assessments of women who require enhanced
monitoring of their baby or their own condition during pregnancy. Women’s
experience will be improved due to faster assessment and treatment times from
arriving in triage or fetal assessment unit to being discharged home, or if
admission to the ward areas is required. Safety of care is also enhanced due to
the specialist assessment services being located together, as expert midwifery or
medical advice is concentrated in close proximity to each other.
Maternity Service User Feedback:As reported in the ‘Croydon Advertiser’ – September 13th 2013 edition
There can be few people better placed to judge whether Croydon University Hospital's
maternity ward is on the mend than Donnah Goodwill.
The hospital, in London Road, has cared for all five of her children including youngest
Jacob, who was born last Friday.
"It's more calming and relaxed. The staff are nice. They talk to you. It's more of a one-toone service.
"The improvements have been gradual over the years, but having Jacob seems like all
the good things have been put into one. It has been lovely.“
PROUD MUM: Donnah Goodwill with baby Jacob
Green.
Comments from a mother in Mary ward (postnatal ward)
“My experience has been very positive. I was very well looked after. My needs met at all
times especially due to the fact that I had a caesarean section. The staff have been
supportive and ready to help…my meals were always on time. I have been in a clean
environment, clean bed sheets. My son has also been very well observed and had all
necessary tests covered”.
Comments from a mother following her baby’s birth in the birth centre
“I would just like to say a huge thank you for my pleasurable experience in the birthing
centre. The midwife was excellent and my whole experience was by far much better than
I expected! I would love if every mother to be has a pleasant experience as I did. I
couldn't have asked for anything to be done differently, and if I could change anything I
wouldn't! The more people that know about the birth centre the better.
A big thank you to the birthing centre midwives, keep up the good work!”
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Photographs of the Croydon University Hospital Maternity Unit Refurbishment
Birth Centre
Corridor(new
flooring and
décor)
Birth Centre
birthing room
with pool
Birth Centre ‘Early labour’ room
Birth Centre postnatal room
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New male shower and bathroom
(for partners use)
Mary Ward Corridor (postnatal)
Comments on social networking site Twitter from Gavin Barwell MP, Croydon
Central, 23rd September 2013
“Great to visit Croydon University Hospital this evening & see the improvements that
have been made over the summer to the Maternity Unit”
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