New £5.5m midwifery-led unit for Antrim Area Hospital gets green light

Lauren Harte

26 November 2024 at 10:43 am·1-min read

Plans to build a new £5.5m midwifery-led unit at Antrim Area Hospital have been approved by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Councillors green-lighted the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Alongside Midwifery-Led Unit (AMLU), a purpose-built three-suite unit at the hospital.

The Trust says the creation of the unit would give women in the area parity with the rest of the region.

The three additional birthing suites will be separate to the hospital's main maternity ward but women will have access to the on-site obstetric and consultant-led services if required. The unit will also have its own separate entrance.

Caroline Diamond, Assistant Director of Women’s Health and Head of Midwifery and Gynaecology said: “Unlike the four other HSC Trusts, there is no midwifery-led unit in our Trust currently. Having an alongside midwifery-led unit in Antrim will give women more choice around their maternity care pathways, and create equity across the entire region.

“We’re delighted to have received this planning approval as it brings us a step closer to delivering improved experiences for women in our community.”

The development of the unit at Antrim was a requirement of the Permanent Secretary Peter May when he approved the recommendation of the Trust Board to consolidate all hospital births at Antrim Area Hospital.

Since July 2023, all hospital births have taken place at Antrim Area Hospital while Causeway Hospital continues to provide both antenatal and postnatal care, as well as enhanced pregnancy care clinics

The AMLU is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

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