We have a passionate and committed team of midwives, supported by a range of multi-disciplinary colleagues, who will provide you with the highest level of care throughout your labour and postnatal recovery. All of our care pathways are based upon guidance and best evidence from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG).
For those women experiencing birth in Harrogate District Hospital, we offer a range of facilities and services.
Our facilities
Our Delivery Suite has recently undergone a major refurbishment and now comprises five dedicated delivery rooms, each with a new en suite wet-room. We also have a brand new birthing pool in our low-risk birthing room. Here, we will support you to utilise a range of equipment to encourage an active birth experience with the opportunity for water birth. The room has an array of mood lighting for your enjoyment and to promote your relaxation and comfort.
We support all forms of pain relief, from our specialist hypnobirthing course to a full epidural service provided by our 24 hour anaesthetic cover.
The Maternity Unit also encompasses our new triage Maternity Assessment Centre (MAC) and a dedicated obstetric operating theatre for emergency deliveries. This operating theatre sits adjacent to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
Our team
Whatever the level of your medical or obstetric care requirements, we have a specialist team of consultant obstetricians, anaesthetists and their associated colleagues, who are based on the Delivery Suite and provide 24 hour cover. We also have a full team of other auxiliary staff. We are very pleased to support the training of the next generation of student midwives and nurses on clinical placement from our associate higher education institutions at the universities of York and Leeds.
Contact us
Our Maternity Assessment Centre provides a triage service for women over 14 weeks gestation, to assist with any worries or concerns. If you suspect that you might be in labour or have any other pregnancy-related issue, we would request that contact is made initially through MAC: 01423 557531, 8am-8pm Monday-Friday.
Outside of these hours you should contact Delivery Suite directly on 01423 553184 or 01423 553185.
For non-urgent enquiries you should contact your named community midwife directly, or get in touch with any other member of the Community Team through the community midwifery office on 01423 553051.
Before 14 weeks’ gestation , please contact your GP or the Out of Hours Service (via 111).
Visiting times
Visiting hours are 3-8pm for antenatal patients. In labour we would advise you to restrict visitors to your birth partners (a maximum of two), who can stay with you throughout.
For the health of all of our mums and babies, we request that any visitors having recent diarrhoea, vomiting or possible infective illness avoid coming to the ward.
Location
The Delivery Suite is situated on the first floor in Strayside Wing, adjacent to Pannal Ward and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
Elective Caesarean
If you are planning to have an elective caesarean section for the birth of your baby, you will be seen in Antenatal Clinic by a consultant obstetrician. Once you have received the appropriate information from the consultant, you will also be required to sign your consent form for the procedure during a consultant clinic appointment.
Any immediate questions or concerns you have regarding your elective caesarean section can be answered by the consultant obstetrician, during your antenatal clinic appointment.
In the majority of circumstances, elective caesarean sections are booked to take place between 39-40 weeks of pregnancy – unless stated otherwise by the consultant on the elective caesarean section booking form.
You will receive a telephone call informing you of your pre-operative assessment appointment and of your elective caesarean section date. The phone call will be made to you by the trust admissions department.
You will be informed of your elective caesarean section date approximately 7-10 days in advance. For any queries regarding the date of either your pre-operative appointment or you caesarean section, please contact the admissions department on 01423 553380.
If you have any routine enquiries regarding your caesarean section prior to your date of admission, please contact your named community midwife.
In exceptional circumstances, there are occasional situations where the date of your elective caesarean section is required to be changed at short notice. In the event of such situations, you would be notified of this via telephone.
Key staff
Leanne Likaj – Associate Director of Midwifery (01423 555637)
Rachael Fawcett – Matron for Maternity Services (01423553183)
Andrea Stephenson – Maternity Assessment Centre and Delivery Suite Manager (01423 557413)
Lesley Copeland – Pannal Ward Manager (01423 553190)
Jo Orgles – Infant Feeding Co-ordinator (01423 555629)
Mary McCaul & Cory Taylor-Wheeler – Community Midwifery Managers (01423 553607)
Vanessa Corrigan – Antenatal Clinic Team Leader & Named Midwife for Safeguarding (01423 542298)
Odile Poole – Antenatal and Newborn Screening Co-ordinator (01423 555429)
Alexandra Souchaud – Bereavement Midwife (01423 557407)