The new facility, which can be found within the Maternity department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, provides a relaxing setting for new mums and their infants who will soon be heading home. The room contains essential information such as leaflets and booklets, including safe-sleeping advice, infant feeding information and other related items for patient education. This is in addition to comfy seating as well as cot areas, so that parents have everything they need while waiting for their discharge papers and any take-home medications.
Ordinarily, a new service such as this would receive an official opening ceremony, however, and given the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Trust took the decision to coordinate a much more intimate event, with the organisation’s Head of Midwifery, Lois Mellor, and Non-Executive Director, Kath Smart, overseeing proceedings at a distance of two metres.
Of the new service, Lois said: “Colleagues and I are so happy to be able open the Postnatal Discharge Lounge. This new facility will offer a comfortable and relaxing environment for our mothers and babies to go to when they are nearing the time when they can go home. It is equipped with all of the information and other items they will need and is a really lovely space.
“I am particularly impressed that we have been able to open this room given the current challenges, and I share my thanks with our Maternity and Estates and Facilities teams, as well as our Ward Manager, Teri Mason. Everyone has been doing such an outstanding job at the Trust during these extraordinary times and this is just another example of this – thank you everybody.”
The Trust is currently fundraising for the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Birth Appeal, which is seeking to raise £100,000 to provide additional equipment and enhance the environments in the Trust’s maternity and neonatal units to give women, babies and their families in Doncaster and Bassetlaw the very best possible care.
Local residents and businesses wishing to support the appeal can contact the charity office on 01302 644244 or donating at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DBTHBirthAppeal