More than £2m has been spent on refurbishing the existing unit with the focus on providing greater choice to women for their labour and delivery.

First-time mum Kirsty Madgwick was the first to give birth in the refurbished unit.

Her son Marley was born at 1.45pm on Monday (December 14). Kirsty, 21, from Donnington, said: "At first I was a bit unsure as the birthing room didn't have a proper bed, but then I realised it was designed to help me give birth more easily."

The maternity unit is divided into two main delivery areas – a birthing centre and the main labour suite.

The birthing centre, which is designed for women who are classed as low-risk, has three birthing pools and the en-suite rooms also have mood lighting, CD players and a birth coach.

The labour suite also has a birthing pool giving women who may have some risk factors the opportunity to experience a water birth.

Carole Garrick, head of midwifery for Western Sussex Hospital NHS Trsut, said: "We have a fantastic new unit with something to suit everyone.

"Our focus is on providing a midwife-led service where the mum feels in control and works in partnership with the midwife to experience the birth she wishes for herself and her baby."

The unit has seven new delivery rooms, as well as the three rooms in the birthing cventre, two beds in the high-dependency room and a two-bed antenatal assessment area.

Midwife Vikki Payne added: "It is a real pleasure to work on the new unit. It is vibrant and welcoming and mums-to-be have more choice over the way they give birth."

The new unit will be officially opened next year.

Tours of the maternity ward for prospective parents take place each Saturday at 3pm. Parents wishing to visit should meet in the ground-floor waiting area of the Women and Children's Unit where a midwife will meet the group.

To watch video filmed inside the new-look unit visit www.chichester.co.uk


St Richard's Hospital has been named as one of eight outstanding maternity units which have won awards from the all-party parliamentary group on maternity (APPGM).

The hospital was joint winner with University Hospital North Staffordshire for tailoring services to meet the needs of fathers.

The award came after the League of Friends donated chairs and sofas to enable new fathers to stay overnight with their partners. The hospital is the only one in the country to permanently offer facilities to allow birth partners to stay in the ward overnight.