Mothers, babies, midwives and doctors at Bradford’s award-winning birth centre have delivered a right royal welcome.The Princess Royal spent an hour visiting staff, new mums and their babies at Bradford Royal Infirmary in her role as patron of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
She also toured the hospital’s consultant-led labour ward and the unit’s snowdrop bereavement suite, before being one of the first to welcome babies Joseph Oyeniyi and Joshua Kumatia-Owusu into the world. The pair were born only hours before the royal visit.
The RCM President Professor Lesley Page and Chief Executive, Cathy Warwick and Head of Midwifery at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, Julie Walker, along with NHS staff and dignitaries accompanied the Princess Royal on her visit.
Ten-year-old Jessica Wilkinson, whose mum Kathryn is a women’s services PA at the hospital, presented a posy to the Princess Royal after she unveiled a plaque in the unit’s Parent Craft Room.
During the tour the Princess Royal got the opportunity to hear about the work being done by midwives and other members of the maternity team at the unit, to enhance pregnancy and birth experiences. This included the Trust’s £49m Lottery-funded Better Start Bradford project which aims to improve outcomes for women and their babies in one of the city’s most deprived areas.
Her Royal Highness also heard about the Foundation Trust’s landmark Born in Bradford project, a cutting-edge research study which is tracking the lives of thousands of children born in the district.
Chief Executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Clive Kay said: ‘We are delighted that the Princess Royal visited our maternity services in her role as patron of the RCM.
“We’ve got a busy maternity unit here with a diverse ethnic population. We’re very well respected and have great team spirit.
“We’ve got so much to be proud of and to showcase as a centre of excellence.”
Professor Page described the unit as “exceptional.”
