Maternity care pathways

By the end of 2010, women’s and children’s care will be reconfigured throughout East Lancashire.

The biggest changes are in maternity services, with the opening of three midwife-led birth centres located at Park Lee Road, Blackburn, as part of the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre in the grounds of Burnley General Hospital, and in the Rossendale Primary Healthcare Centre, Bacup Road, Rawtenstall.

The consultant-led birth unit for East Lancashire is to be at the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre in the grounds of Burnley General Hospital.

Under the reconfigured model, no babies will be born at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

All healthy pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies will be offered the choice of birth at home, in a midwife-led birth centre, or in the consultant-led unit, and every woman will receive close midwife support throughout her labour, wherever she chooses to give birth.

Operational dates for the new facilities are:

Should a complication arise in a birth at Blackburn Birth Centre between September 6 and November 17, the woman will be transferred to the Royal Blackburn Hospital. From November 17, the transfer will be to the new Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre, at Burnley General Hospital.

It is vital that pregnant women, their partners and their families understand the options available to them, as well as the escalationprocess should complications arise during a birth at home or in a birth centre.  Midwives at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust will work closely with pregnant women to fully assess their health and fitness and explain the different services available, to ensure they are making fully-informed choices.