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 experiencing birth in Harrogate District Hospital, we offer a range of facilities and services.
Our facilities
Our Delivery Suite comprises five dedicated delivery rooms, each with an en suite wet-room. We also have a birthing pool 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, including an epidural service provided by our 24 hour anaesthetic cover.
The Maternity Unit also encompasses our 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 Bradford.
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 through our single point of contact for maternity services 01423 557531.
Before 14 weeks’ gestation , please contact your GP or the Out of Hours Service (via 111).
Visiting times
Partners are welcome anytime, and anyone else is welcome to visit between 11am – 9pm on Pannal Ward.
For the health of all of our service users, 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 F 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 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.
You will receive a telephone call informing you of your pre-operative assessment appointment and of your elective caesarean section date.
You will be informed of your elective caesarean section date approximately 7-10 days in advance.
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.