Birthing centre to open at Dewsbury and District Hospital

The centres are small maternity units that are usually staffed by midwives and aim to offer a homely, rather than clinical, environment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said this type of care should be encouraged for ‘low risk’ pregnancies.

And it claimed that midwife-led and even home births provide better outcomes for mothers and babies.

Building work will begin on the new centre in October and it is expected to be open by May next year.

But the plans mean that the hospital’s obstetric doctors will move to the labour ward at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s head of midwifery Gill Pownall said: “The aim of the Midwife Led Unit (MLU) is to improve the options available to women and improve their childbirth experience.

“The MLU has been designed to accommodate all low risk deliveries for women in North Kirklees.

“We estimate that 500 low risk deliveries will be undertaken at Dewsbury as women will have a choice of a home birth, MLU delivery or delivery in the obstetric unit based in Pinderfields Hospital.

“Women considered high risk and requiring consultant led care will be cared for at Pinderfields Hospital obstetric unit.”

“We are delighted that these major improvements are being offered to women and we are looking forward to seeing the corresponding changes to women’s experiences.”