Anna Shasha, Head of Midwifery at the Rosie Hospital has written to local people asking them to show their appreciation for friends and loved ones born at the city’s maternity hospital.
Commenting, Anna said: “As one of the region's busiest maternity hospitals, our facilities are under huge pressure, so we're getting ready for some big changes to expand and modernise the hospital. That’s why ACT – the dedicated charity for Addenbrooke's and the Rosie Hospitals – is seeking an additional £150,000 from our local community."
“With the support of kind-hearted local people, we can create a superb 21st-century hospital that can look after a lot more patients; offer faster antenatal care; give women much more choice about their birth; enable more parents with the most poorly babies to stay close to them overnight; and ensure the most advanced equipment is at hand in case of emergency."
“By writing to people, we are sending a gentle reminder about just how easy it is for anyone to support their local maternity hospital simply by donating online at www.therosiecampaign.org.uk or popping a payment in the post. Every extra penny we can raise now will be used to help fit out the new building with additional equipment to keep the Rosie special, save lives and improve patient care. Whatever people can give will be so very greatly appreciated.”
The Big Push for the Rosie Hospital Campaign is aiming to raise £150,000 this year from the community to support expansion and modernisation of the Rosie. For more information go to: www.therosiecampaign.org.uk
About the Rosie Campaign
The Rosie Hospital is recognised as one of the finest maternity hospitals in the country. Supported by charitable funding, the original Rosie Hospital opened in 1983, since when much has changed. It was designed for approximately 4,000 births a year. In 2010-11 almost 5,800 babies were born at the Rosie and by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 7,500.
The new three-storey extension and modernisation programme will almost double the size of the existing maternity unit and mean the Rosie can continue to offer pregnant women, their partners and new babies the very best standard of care.
Facilities will include:
• A brand new midwife-led birth centre with ten new en-suite rooms for women with a low risk pregnancy
• An expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with 58 cots for babies who are born early or in need of specialist attention • A new residential centre with eight en-suite bedrooms, a rest area and kitchen. This will be available for parents that have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• A new Fetal Medicine and Day Assessment Unit for monitoring pregnant women and fetal development
• A dedicated counselling suite offering professional support when outcomes are not as planned. For patients and staff these new world-class resources will make an enormous day-to-day difference.
With extra space available, staff will be able to help more women give birth in the comfort of their local hospital. The transformed Rosie will be a regional centre of clinical excellence for training maternity, neonatal and gynaecological staff. Longer term it will also set new standards of care by advancing antenatal and neonatal development through research programmes.
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