Maternity services at the Helme Chase unit at Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal are set to resume from Monday, 10 February, following a successful recruitment campaign by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT).
The unit temporarily suspended birth services in April 2024 due to a midwifery staff shortage, reflecting a national trend. However, with an increase in midwifery staff, UHMBT has now implemented robust plans to ensure round-the-clock midwifery on-call services for births at Helme Chase, as well as for home births.
A safe and supportive environment for families
Helme Chase is a midwife-led unit, providing a safe and welcoming space for women with low-risk pregnancies. The unit operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering personalised care from highly trained midwives who are equipped to handle emergencies if needed.
Midwife-led units like Helme Chase focus on natural, uncomplicated births, in contrast to consultant-led units, such as those at the South Lakes Birth Centre in Furness General Hospital (FGH) and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI). These consultant-led services remained operational throughout the temporary suspension at WGH, ensuring continuity of care for local families.
The importance of choice for families
Susan Foyle, Director of Midwifery at UHMBT, expressed her enthusiasm for the reopening:
“We are pleased to be restarting birth services at Helme Chase for women and families wishing to have a midwife-led birth. It’s important that women have the choice of where and how they would like to give birth. We are looking forward to welcoming families over the coming months.”
Helme Chase Unit Manager and midwife, Samantha Connelly, highlighted the unit’s supportive atmosphere:
“Helme Chase has a real family feel and we pride ourselves on providing safe, personalised care and support throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond. We are delighted to be offering our midwife-led unit at Kendal as a choice of place of birth for families.”
Maternity services Westmorland General Hospital
Beyond birth services, Helme Chase provides a range of maternity care, including antenatal and postnatal services, vaccination clinics, ultrasound scans and consultant-led clinics. The unit is staffed by a dedicated team of more than 20 professionals, including midwives, support workers and ward clerks. Facilities include a birthing pool, mood lighting, birthing balls and slings to support safe, active births.
Know your options
UHMBT encourages families to explore their birthing options and discuss their care plans with midwives. With services now restored at Helme Chase, expectant parents in Kendal and the surrounding areas once again have access to local, personalised, midwife-led care.
For more information, visit the UHMBT birth services page for the latest.
Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness: Your voice matters
In 2024, Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness conducted an Enter and View visit at Helme Chase Maternity Unit. We spoke with six patients and six staff members, who shared their experiences with us.
Patients reported being happy with the care they received and felt well-informed about decisions regarding their care. Staff were described as friendly, professional, and approachable.
Healthwatch has also conducted the following recent reports:
- South Lakes Birth Centre, Barrow: Enter and View Report: Commissioned by Lancashire and South Cumbria Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) through the Healthwatch Together partnership to assess patients’ experiences of maternity care.
- Maternity and Neonatal Matters Report: This report presents findings from experiences gathered during our engagement roadshow. The insights contribute to a broader understanding of maternity and neonatal services across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
We’d love to hear more about your experiences with maternity services at Helme Chase or other local healthcare services.
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