MIDWIVES are celebrating the return of full maternity services at Macclesfield Hospital.

It is more than three years since the Board of East Cheshire NHS Trust suspended maternity services due to the Covid outbreak in March 2020.

Ged Murphy, chief executive of East Cheshire NHS Trust, said: “It gives me great pleasure to share the news that we have now met the robust safety criteria required to return our maternity service.

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“The return of this service could not have happened without the ongoing support of all our staff and partners.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has worked alongside us over the past three years.

“This news is fantastic for families who access our maternity services and our midwifery and obstetric staff who have been working at host sites."

Knutsford Guardian: Maternity services return to Macclesfield Hospital after being suspended for more than three yearsMaternity services return to Macclesfield Hospital after being suspended for more than three years (Image: East Cheshire NHS Trust)

Kate Daly-Brown, director of nursing and quality for East Cheshire NHS Trust, said: “As a local resident, I am passionate about our maternity services.

“I joined the trust in September 2021 when the service was suspended and was incredibly impressed by our exceptionally committed teams who are passionate about providing a quality maternity service for the local population.

Knutsford Guardian: A Babygro hamperA Babygro hamper (Image: East Cheshire NHS Trust)

“I cannot thank our many partners enough.

"It has been a privilege to work with them over the past three years and to be in a position to return our full hospital maternity service.

Knutsford Guardian: The post natal care room The post natal care room (Image: East Cheshire NHS Trust)

“We are now fully staffed from a midwifery, anaesthetic and neonatal perspective and will be delighted to welcome our new cohort of international midwives over coming months.

“In preparation our maternity ward has been refurbished and modernised."

Knutsford Guardian: A water birth room with a disco ballA water birth room with a disco ball (Image: East Cheshire NHS Trust)

When the service was suspended the team of midwives were either relocated to host hospital sites at Stepping Hill, Wythenshawe and Leighton for women who preferred a hospital-setting birth, or remained as community midwives for women who chose a home birth.