Wealden MP, Nusrat Ghani, visited Crowborough Birth Centre on Friday 13 January as part of a wider visit to Crowborough War Memorial Hospital and Uckfield Community Hospital, to show her support for local health services.

Nusrat Ghani was accompanied by Mike Jennings, Chief Executive Officer at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, by Claudia Griffith, Chief Delivery Officer at NHS Sussex and by Cllr Richard Hallett MBE, Vice President and Trustee of the Friends of Crowborough Hospital.

They were met by Miles Scott, Chief Executive Officer at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, who manage the birth centre, and members of the specialist midwifery-led team based there, before being given a tour of the facilities and services available.

Miles Scott said, “We were delighted to welcome Nusrat to the birth centre, and would like to thank her, and the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, for their continued support. It’s an important and enriching service for the local community, enabling more choice and support throughout pregnancy and childbirth, which we are proud to deliver.”

Nusrat Ghani said that she “would like to thank the Friends of Crowborough Hospital for their continued support for the service, and to all local NHS leaders, medical staff, and volunteers across all health services in Wealden for their continued superb work delivering care for Wealden residents.”

Crowborough Birth Centre offers midwifery-led care with the support of maternity support workers for those with low-risk pregnancies. It has been a pioneer in birthing centres since 1997 and became part of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2016.The centre provides a relaxed environment, including two birthing rooms with pools and three postnatal rooms.

The centre also offers antenatal and postnatal care and acts as a community hub. The staff offer tours, breastfeeding support, birth place assessments and tests such as newborn and infant physical examinations.