New maternity unit marks a year of success

Three Counties Radio presenter Gareth Wesley, formerly of the Gaz and Babs Heart FM breakfast show, did the honours, cutting a ribbon across the unit’s entrance.

The Midwifery-Led Birthing Unit caters for women with uncomplicated pregnancies, allowing them to give birth in a homely environment, with only midwives present. It has four rooms, one containing a birthing pool.

Maria Englefield, the first woman to give birth in the unit, said: “It was comfortable, clean and relaxing - there was a great atmosphere and lovely staff.”

Although the unit has been in place a year, there had previously been no chance to commemorate its opening. Pauline Philip, chief executive of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said that the new unit has received a lot of positive feedback, with around 1,000 women passing through in the past year.

Helen Lucas, head of midwifery, expressed how proud she was of the MLBU. She thanked all those involved in its financing, planning, construction, and running.