The Mayor of London was the special guest at the formal opening of a new maternity centre at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
The Reuben Foundation Maternity Centre will provide women and their babies with a modern environment, personalised patient experience, and access to the latest technology.
The project was supported by the Reuben Foundation charity and will benefit more than 6,000 babies born at the hospital every year.
The trust, together with their North West London health partners, are working to implement the NHS recommendation for personalised care and continuity throughout pregnancy and birth.
The Reuben Foundation Maternity Centre offers adaptable environments, empowering women to take control of their own care.
For example, bespoke digital artwork can be selected in each room, lighting levels can be adjusted, and women can listen to their own personalised birthing playlists – both in delivery rooms and in the state-of-the-art operating theatres.
The centre includes birthing pools and the interior design creates a home-from-home environment with wooden finishes and calming colours.
Each birthing room has also been equipped with new recliner chairs which open into fully-flat single beds for partners.
Bespoke artwork has also been commissioned by hospital charity, CW+, which includes a vast, colourful mosaic by renowned contemporary artist, Adam Nathanial Furman, known for his ceramic gateways in Granary Square, King’s Cross.
Calming and welcoming artwork inspired by botanicals and nature, has also been created by designer and printmaker, Fanny Shorter.
Mums-to-be are encouraged to control their environment, through adjustable lighting levels, music systems and digital artwork
Speaking at the launch, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I want all Londoners to have access to the best-possible care, and this state-of-the-art centre will make a big difference for the hospital’s hard-working staff as they help parents at such a momentous time in their lives.
“It will be a real boost to the hospital’s world-leading services and I’d like to thank the Reuben Foundation for their generosity in making this happen.”
Lesley Watts, chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This new centre enables us to provide exceptional, personalised care to every woman who chooses to have her baby with us.
“We are also looking forward to opening our new neonatal intensive care unit next year, which will complete our maternity transformation and treat 1,000 babies every year.”
Bespoke artwork was commissioned for the new centre