Health minister Dr Dan Poulter paid a visit to Hillingdon Hospital on Tuesday, October 21, to see how government money had been spent improving ten of the hospital’s labour wards.
The improvements - which include general refurbishment, air conditioning, music systems, TVs and a new birthing pool - are designed to make new mothers' stay more comfortable.
The MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, and a former NHS Hospital doctor, said: “The maternity team here are doing a fantastic job day in, day out and night in, night out like so many other midwives around the country.
“The problem is facilities are often old and part of my job has been to secure funding so places like Hillingdon can benefit from an improved working environment.”
An average of 12 babies a day are born in the maternity unit at the hospital in Pield Heath Road, Hillingdon, which helps deliver around 4,000 new-borns a year.
The unit is expecting to accommodate an extra 2,000 births by 2018.
Shane DeGaris, chief executive of the hospital's NHS Foundation Trust, said: “People don’t realise how much money is spent on maintenance work around the hospital so it’s always nice to secure money to carry out new improvement works.
“It’s been a good year in that respect and we are looking forward to the opening of our new Acute Medical Unit later this year.”
Earlier this month, Hayes MP John McDonnell expressed his concern about the impact on Hillingdon Hospital after it was announced that Ealing Hospital's maternity unit could be closed in March 2015.
“I am concerned about the impact this will have on Hillingdon Hospital's maternity services and the difficulties local expectant mothers and staff in our area could face.
"Our maternity services are already under severe pressure," he said.
