A NEW maternity and neonatal unit in Bournemouth is set to provide an ‘enhanced, modern, and updated birthing environment’ for expecting parents.

The new unit is set to open at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s BEACH building in April 2025.

It will replace the current facility at Poole Hospital, and is expected to welcome more than 4,400 babies a year.

The move is part of a plan to focus all emergency care at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, resulting in fewer patient transfers between hospitals and less stress on the county’s ambulance service.

University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) said this will mean 'better outcomes' for expecting parents and their babies, and 'faster care for everyone’.

Kerry Taylor, UHD's head of midwifery, said: “We know our expecting parents have been waiting a long time for this, and we're so excited to bring these new services to Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

“It will be sad to leave our current site at St Mary’s, but from April 2025, we will have a brighter future in our new enhanced, modern, and updated birthing environment.”

The new unit will provide a full range of maternity services, including antenatal, birth, and postnatal care, with state-of-the-art facilities and modern amenities ‘ensuring safety and comfort’.

UHD said personalised care will be proved by a ‘dedicated and experienced’, with a family-centred approach that involves partners and families in the birthing experience.

Rachel, Dorset's maternity and neonatal voices lead representative, added: “We are so excited about the new building and know it will have such a positive impact on the experiences of local families accessing maternity and neonatal services.

"We have been involved in the design of the new site since Dorset Maternity Voices was established in 2017, and we can’t wait for local parents to experience everything the new building has to offer.”

The BEACH Building, standing for births, emergency care and, critical care and child health, is a 22,650m², six-storey facility dedicated to patient care.

In addition to the new maternity and neonatal unit, it includes a children’s unit, an enhanced emergency department, and a larger critical care facility.