Work is due to get underway on a £1.6m Maternity Services refurbishment at Walsall Manor Hospital next month which will include the relocation of its bereavement suite to create an improved environment for parents who have suffered a loss.

This redevelopment work will take place in two phases. Phase One will focus on the current emergency entrance to the Maternity Unit which will become the new main entrance for maternity.

This stage of construction is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete and is due to start on 7 November.

Phase Two will concentrate on the bereavement suite. The current rooms will be repositioned to improve privacy for bereaved families, the work will also include additional soundproofing of the rooms and updating ensuite facilities for families. This stage is expected to take around ten weeks to finish.

Carla Jones-Charles, Director of Midwifery, Gynaecology and Sexual Health at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are so excited to share our refurbishment news which will benefit our service users in Walsall and surrounding areas.

“Creating a main entrance to the Maternity Unit will be a big improvement as it will mean service users don’t have to walk all the way through the main reception and into the hospital – access will be easier for them.”

Carla added that the bereavement suite improvements were also important to support families at a difficult time.

“We are relocating the suite and soundproofing the rooms as we want to minimise noise as much as we can,” she said. “The environment will be calm and quiet and we will work with our Specialist Bereavement Midwife and use the feedback and experiences of our parents who have suffered a loss to create a safe space for them.”

Carla added that contractors would work closely with Maternity Services to minimise disruption.

“We thank people for bearing with us while this necessary work takes place to create improved services for all,” she said.