Extensive works to address complex water quality issues
affecting the use of birthing pools at Inverurie Community Maternity Unit
have been successful and the pools are being made available to
families once again.
Associate Director of Midwifery for NHS Grampian, Katie Colville
explains: “We are now in the process of providing all team members with
refresher training on supporting water births and will be able to offer the use
of the pools to families from Monday 29 January.
“As caring professionals we’re keen to offer the use of
birthing pools to women across Grampian and we recognise how valued these are
as a choice for women in their birthing plans. We are grateful to a number
of partners for their extensive work alongside our own teams to trial
various mitigation measures over an extended period of time to address
complex water quality issues. This has included a significant programme of
repair works and we now have a working solution.
“Birthing pool facilities also remain available at Dr
Gray's Hospital in Elgin and at Peterhead Maternity Unit. With five
birthing pools now available across Grampian, teams are happy to support
families from any local area who may wish to use these facilities. Teams are
also more than happy to support families exploring the option of hiring a
pool themselves when women are planning to birth at home.”
At this time, work continues to explore the infrastructure issues
within the birthing pool room in the Midwives Unit at Aberdeen
Maternity Hospital. Anyone with concerns about their options for place of
birth is encouraged to discuss these with their midwife.
An explainer document about birthing pool provision has been
updated on NHS Grampian’s Birth In Grampian
website.