Funding Secured for Reinstatement of Birthing Pools at Two Sussex Hospitals

Birthing pools are set to be reinstated at two hospitals in Sussex following the successful acquisition of funding for their replacement. The birthing pool at Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath has been out of service since September, while the facility at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton was decommissioned in July. On Thursday, Emma Chambers, the director of midwifery for University Hospitals Sussex, announced that nearly £80,000 had been received to replace both pools. She commented, “We’re absolutely devastated not to be able to offer water birth to women and people wanting to use our service and we’re really very sorry for that.” Ms Chambers indicated that the suspension of the pools’ use was a result of infection control concerns. She further elaborated that these closures had generated “a lot of anxiety and upset” among both personnel and individuals intending to utilize the pools. The BBC had previously received reports from new mothers and pregnant women in Sussex expressing their dissatisfaction regarding the unavailability of the pools. Alice Stride, who delivered her baby Evie in October, commented that she felt she had been “robbed of the birth she wanted.” The arrival of the new pools is anticipated to occur within six to eight weeks. Concurrently, the trust is endeavoring to implement a temporary solution for the pool located at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH). Additionally, birthing pools are accessible in Worthing, Chichester, Eastbourne, and Crowborough. Ms Chambers stated, “We’re really terribly sorry that we are not able to offer water birth at Brighton and Haywards Heath at the moment, but the situation is going to be resolved as soon as we possibly can.”