Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, was pleased to attend the official celebration of the return of out of hospital birthing services across the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, including the Crowborough birthing centre.
Hosted by the Chief Executive of the Trust, Miles Scott, the event celebrated 25 years of midwifery-led care in Crowborough and the reopening of the Unit following a temporary closure during the pandemic.
The Crowborough Birthing Centre was one of the first to open in the country and has since delivered over 4,000 babies. It is a 24-hour a day service, run by a dedicated team of experienced midwives, offering complete antenatal and postnatal care, as well as many birth choices. The Centre has two birthing rooms with birthing pools available, and three postnatal rooms, some with double beds, so that partners can also stay.
The celebration also marked the opening of the new kitchen and resting facilities for the medical staff, generously donated to the Birthing Centre by the Friends of Crowborough Hospital.
Nusrat Ghani said: “I was delighted to attend the celebration of 25 years of midwifery-led care in Crowborough. I am proud that we have this fantastic facility in Wealden, enabling safe out of hospital birth care for parents-to-be across East Sussex and Kent. I have been working with Richard Hallett and the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, and the Trust CEO Miles Scott to ensure that this vital service returns as soon as possible post-pandemic, and I am pleased that it has now reopened. Many thanks to the Matron, Nicolette McCarthy and all the midwifes and medical staff for their superb work providing first class care.”