HEALTH bosses were keen to highlight the improvements in Basildon’s maternity services as they launched their revolutionary “dial-a-midwife” scheme.

Hospital chiefs praised the Maternity Direct initiative, which will enable women to contact a midwife directly as soon as they become pregnant.

The launch, held at Basildon Hospital, was combined with the official opening of the Willow Suite – the hospital’s dedicated midwife-led ward, which includes a birthing pool.

The ward has been open for two years and is one of biggest in the country, but was not officially opened until last week.

More than 2,100 babies have already been delivered there.

Hospital bosses used the occasion to talk about improvements since the hospital’s maternity service was heavily condemned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in March.

Critcisms included wards being “small and cramped” and a “perceived lack of confidence” in the ability of the chief executive, Alan Whittle, and director of nursing, Maggie Rogers, to instill leadership and teamwork among nurses and midwives.

It also said the department was suffering from staff shortages.

Lynne Cook, the hospital’s head of midwifery, explained an extra ten midwives had already been recruited and a further 17 were due to start before September.

Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, was there to open the suite and launch Maternity Direct.

Mrs Warwick said: “I offer huge congratulations to you all here. The hospital has been under scrutiny, but I think it is quite healthy to be under scrutiny when the effect is lots of improvements as you see here.”

Mrs Cook added: “We’re thrilled to be able to open the Willow Suite, which provides every possible comfort and natural pain relief method for the women who give birth here.

“Maternity Direct is about giving women the choice of accessing midwife services directly.

“This speeds things up for mum, and means she can get vital information earlier in her pregnancy. It will also help us reach vulnerable women who may not be registered with a doctor or who are anxious about visiting one.”

Mums-to-be will get advice on nutrition and other vital information straight away and not have to go through their GP, which is the normal practice.

This process can leave them waiting to speak to a midwife for more than three weeks.