Work under way on £6million improvement of maternity ward at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Work is under way on a £6million improvement project at Sunderland Royal Hospital's maternity ward, which health leaders say will make it a better place for parents to welcome in their newborns.

Drivers and pedestrians are being warned of some disruption as work takes place this weekend.

The project by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust will be carried out over two phases.

The first involves a £2million upgrade of the delivery suite’s dedicated operating theatre footprint.

The next will involve a £4.2million revamp of more than 30 rooms in the department.

New equipment and furniture will be installed, ensuite bathrooms will be upgraded and the rooms will be redecorated, making them a much nicer place to stay.

The trust said it will improve both the suites where babies are delivered and those where families and their babies spend their time following a birth.

This weekend, to help further progress on the theatre work, a large crane will be brought in to lift equipment into the first-floor space.

On the morning of Sunday, July 23, a 40 tonne all-terrain mobile crane will arrive on site to lift four new air handling units into place.

The equipment will provide filtered air to the theatre environment as part of infection control measures.

To allow this to be carried out safely, part of the Chester Wing car park will be cordoned off tomorrow as preparations are made for the crane and equipment’s arrival.

On the day itself, the road outside of that part of the hospital will be closed off.

There will be no access for vehicles or pedestrians to the outpatients entrance until the work is complete.

The maternity entrance will be open at all times.

Wagons carrying the units will also arrive on site on Sunday morning in preparation for when the crane is ready to be used.

The work is expected to take around 10 hours to complete.

Melanie Johnson, the Trust’s Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals, said: “We’re very excited these works have started and we know they will make a considerable difference to the families and our colleagues too.

“This means there will be some noise and disruption but we’re working to keep this to a minimum and we’re grateful to parents and visitors for their patience while this upgrade work is being carried out.

“This weekend marks the next step forward in these plans. While it will mean some inconvenience for a couple of days, the work has been scheduled during the weekend, when it is quieter on our site.

"We know the benefits will last for years to come once the project is complete.”

Ahead of this work, the unit is already looking brighter, with its Antenatal section repainted in a lighter shade to brighten it up.

The same colour will follow through to other areas of the unit in time.

Meanwhile, the Delivery Suite corridor, which is where women in labour arrive and leave once they are ready to head home, has been decorated with a mural featuring landmarks from across the Trust’s area.

University of Sunderland MA design student Emily Butterfield created the piece after feedback through the Maternity Voices Partnership South Tyneside and Sunderland patient forum.

The artwork was created through a partnership with Sunderland Creatives, which brings together the University of Sunderland and Creo Communications to give students first-hand experience and a chance to work with professionals.