Musgrove Park League of Friends and joined midwives on Friday (November 5) to declare the new Bracken Birthing Centre officially open.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the centre underwent a £300,000 upgrade, funded by the league, to give parents-to-be access to modern, state-of-the-art birthing facilities.

A Toad Trail fundraising campaign run by the league in 2019 raised £50,000 with a further £250,000 coming from legacies left to the league for the benefit of patients.

Since the upgraded centre reopened in October 2020, midwives have welcomed over 530 babies into the world – three in five of whom were born in one of the two new birthing pools. And many other women also chose to use the pools for support and comfort during their labour.

The birthing centre upgrade is one of the first parts of Musgrove 2030 – the ambitious programme to transform the hospital’s facilities and ensure people are cared for in the right place to meet their health needs – to be completed.

Over the last year, colleagues in Musgrove’s maternity team have received very positive feedback from families about the centre in its first year since the major refurbishment.

Philippa Quinn, sister responsible for Bracken Birthing Centre, said: “Thanks to the amazing support from our League of Friends and its donors, we were able to completely refurbish Bracken Birthing Centre

“We wanted to create a ‘home from home’ feel at Bracken so we now have two birthing rooms, complete with a pool, active birth couches, en suite shower rooms, temperature control and mood lighting.

“We also have a dedicated Woodlands assessment room where women can be seen for appointments before and after the birth.”

Peter Renshaw, chairman of the League of Friends, said: “I’m delighted that the league was able to fully fund the refurbishment of the Bracken Birthing Centre as part of our 60th anniversary.

“The League of Friends Musgrove Park Hospital are grateful for the continued support from the public through donations and legacies.”