New Telford hospital unit sees 3,700 births in first year- as future remains uncertain

Over 10,000 children were treated at the Shropshire Women and Children's Centre since it opened in Telford 12 months ago.

Jo and Stephen Armstrong were the first parents to welcome a new baby at the centre, with their daughter born at 6.01pm on September 30, 2014.

Since then a total of 3,796 babies were born at the centre up until midday last Wednesday, made up of 1,958 boys and 1,838 girls.

This included a total of 76 twins and one set of triplets.

The centre, at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, which cost £28 million to build, opened over two days on September 29 and 30 September 2014. The centre was officially opened by Princess Anne on January 27.

With the ability to cater for up to 135 inpatients, the centre is for women who need a consultant-led birth, gynaecology services involving an overnight stay, children who need to stay overnight, children's Oncology and Haematology care and babies who need intensive and special care.

It also looks after consultant-led maternity services, including the antenatal, postnatal and labour wards, neonatal services, children's inpatients, children's oncology and haematology, gynaecology inpatients, emergencies, procedures and early pregnancy assessment service.

Cathy Smith, women and children's care group director at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "The first year of the centre has been a big success and we're delighted with all the feedback including the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) rating of 'Good' for all services within the Women and Children's Care Group."

The anniversary comes as the unit's future remain unclear, with the threat that it could close as part of a shake-up of health services in the county.

The Future Fit programme board behind the re-organisation has put forward three short-listed options to go out to consultation.

Option one, said to cost £280 million, would put A&E services at the Royal Shrewsbury. The PRH would lose its A&E department but retain women's and children's services, diagnostic treatment centre, urgent care and local planned care.

Option two, at £294 million, would see the PRH house the only A&E department, an urgent care centre and local planned care and retain women and children's services. The RSH would provide diagnostic treatment, urgent care and locally planned care.

The third and most expensive option, coming in at £354 million, would see maternity and children's services move to Shrewsbury. It would also have the only A&E department, urgent care and locally planned care, while the PRH would provide diagnostic treatment, an urgent care centre and local planned care.