Thanks to your donations, we’re continuing to transform the hospital environment for patients across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

We recently provided over £17,000 to refurbish the entire Fetal Medicine Unit, helping provide pregnant women with fetal abnormalities with a calm and less clinical environment from the moment they walk into the waiting room, during their scans and in the counselling room.

The unit provides specialist care during pregnancy for the diagnosis and management of fetal abnormalities. During the development of a foetus in the womb, abnormalities can occur, ranging from minor issues to severe conditions that may be life-threatening or cause long-term health problems.

 Every month, around 150 women are referred to the service from hospitals across Yorkshire, alongside 100 women who will attend follow up appointments up until their delivery.

Julia Lamprey, Specialist Fetal Medicine Midwife recognised the need to make improvements to the environment for patients and their loved ones, who can understandably feel anxious when visiting the unit.

Now, the waiting room has had a fresh lick of paint and new artwork of recognisable Yorkshire landscapes, and the scan rooms have dimmable lights to create a more relaxed atmosphere, as well as a flatscreen TV, allowing staff to visually explain what they are doing during the scan. The counselling room has also been refurbished to help create a calmer environment for women receiving bad news, complete with new comfortable seating and artwork on the walls.

Before                                                                   After

We spoke to Julia about why she approached the charity for funding, she told us:

“The women and their families who we care for have often had a long and stressful journey to our department, which can have an impact on both their physical and emotional wellbeing. By providing a more welcoming and comfortable environment we hope we can help relieve some of the stress women experience before their scan.

“I’m so grateful for the charity for supporting this project and I am incredibly proud of how the unit looks now, it’s unrecognisable from the dated, clinical space we had before. It’s not only had a positive impact not only on our patients and their families, but also our team and we have had such wonderful feedback!”