Hampshire Centre Gets 'State-Of-The-Art' Birthing Pool

20 August 2013, 07:53 | Updated: 20 August 2013, 07:54

A Hampshire birthing centre's been awarded £26,500 from the NHS to build a state-of-the-art birthing pool.

The Grange birthing centre in Petersfield has received the money from NHS Environment.

With 300 births a year to accommodate at The Grange, 70 per cent taking place in a birthing pool, the new pool will be plumbed directly into the mains, replacing the existing non-plumbed birthing pool, meaning it will now be quicker and easier to fill and empty the pool which will allow more women to have water births.

Nearly £20,000 has also been raised over the last four years by staff, patients, Friends of the Grange and Friends of Petersfield Hospital to coincide with the pool. Funds raised will be spent on a new birthing bed, more equipment for the Grange and furnishing the room that the pool will be placed in.

Dawn Phillips, team leader at the Grange Maternity Centre, says:

"The new pool will be much appreciated by women and midwives as it’s a purpose-built pool and will be much easier to use than the existing pool which has to be filled by tubing and the water pumped out.

"We have also moved the pool to the end of the ward and knocked two-rooms into one to create a large and airy room.

"We are confident that the pool will attract women from all over the area to have their babies at the Grange, which is a much-valued local facility, and a vibrant yet peaceful place in which to give birth."

The Grange is hosting an open afternoon on Sunday 8 September, 2-4pm for expectant mums and the local community to visit.