VIDEO: Unit to help thousands of pregnant women (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

£500,000 Bradford scheme is launched

4:23pm Thursday 24th September 2009 in Local Video By Kathie Griffiths

Thousands of pregnant women each year are to benefit from a new £500,000 ultrasound department at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The suite in the maternity unit – one of the busiest in the NHS – was opened today by Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP.

It means a range of scanning services have been brought under one roof for the very first time in the city. In the past 20-week routine scans were mainly performed at St Luke’s Hospital but patients would have to travel across Bradford to the Royal Infirmary for repeat scans, if any problems were identified and if counselling needed. Even dating scans in the early weeks of pregnancy took place on different floors of the BRI maternity unit.

Mr Lansley watched Monica Spyrka, of Low Moor, Bradford, being scanned. Her third baby is due in five days time.

He said: “It’s pretty important for mothers to have all their scans and ante-natal activities in the same place where they are going to give birth rather than in different places.

“It’s good to have a degree of continuity and to make things easy for people.

“It also makes sure that the time of mothers and staff is all used to the greatest possible effect and of course with new facilities you have the incentive for new equipment so assessments can be done to the highest of standards.”

Virginia Lodge, principal superintendent in ultrasound, said: “Sadly, Bradford has one of the highest foetal abnormality rates in the UK and it is important we provide a high-quality service for our patients and can meet their needs in the best way possible.”

New scanning equipment was also bought to make the quality of scan pictures even better. The new suite also has the space to get bigger as Bradford’s population grows, as well as more room to expand when new national guidelines for screening for Down’s Syndrome come in.

As well as opening the new department, Mr Lansley was given an insight into plans by the Foundation Trust to create another modern ward block at the BRI. He was told about developments in the care of stroke patients, and the latest health research projects being pioneered such as the influential Born in Bradford project. He said those projects had his support.