CARE HOME BORN AGAIN
PLANNED MOVE WOULD ENSURE BABIES CAN CONTINUE TO BE BORN IN SALFORD
An ‘HISTORIC’ former care home could be transformed into a new birth centre to ensure babies can continue to be born in Salford. Council bosses are proposing to convert the old property, known as Ingleside in Oakwood Park, Swinton, into a midwife-led unit to replace soon-to-close birthing centre at Salford Royal.
AN ‘historic’ former care home could be transformed into a new birth centre to ensure babies can continue to be born in Salford.
Council bosses are proposing to convert the old property, known as Ingleside in Oakwood Park, Swinton, into a midwife-led unit to replace soon-to-close birthing centre at Salford Royal.
The council want to pump £380,000 into maternity services to keep midwives at Salford Royal until the new midwife-led unit opens at Ingleside in October.
NHS bosses announced plans for Salford Birthing Centre earlier this year as part of a wider plan for Salford Royal to become Greater Manchester’s stroke hyper-acute centre and a regional trauma centre.
The current centre is a midwife-led unit opened following the closure of the former Hope Hospital’s maternity unit in a radical shake-up of services several years ago.
The latest proposals have been put forward to ensure there are facilities for women have their babies in Salford.
City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “There is still much work to be done if we’re to ensure that our vision becomes a reality but I would like to thank Salford CCG, NHS England, Salford Royal and partners for their continued support to help realise our continued aspirations for babies to be born in Salford.”
Ingleside, a council-owned building, was more recently used as a residential care home but closed around two years ago.
NHS commissioners at Salford CCG are in the process of finding a provider for the service at the new facility.
The property is the former home of Major EF Pilkington JP, of the glassmaking family, and was one of three houses presented by him to the Salford Corporation in 1936.
Council bosses say the building requires ‘significant’ refurbishment to bring it up to standard required for maternity services.
Women who are considered to be of ‘low risk’ would be able give birth at the centre.
Coun Tracy Kelly, lead member for adult services, health and wellbeing, said: “The proposed new site at Ingleside would provide an exciting new future for an historic building that has been empty since 2015.
“There is a lot of potential to develop Ingleside but plans are still to be finalised and further decisions are to be made.
“It all depends on costs being approved, a planning application and the successful award of a midwifery contract by Salford CCG for running the centre.”