Surprise gift for Hospital maternity unit

18 April 2001

Midwives at the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust were delighted when eight television and video sets arrived in the maternity unit last week.

The sets, worth over £2,500, were donated by a couple who recently had a baby daughter delivered in the unit.  While the mother-to-be was awaiting contractions following her induction, staff brought them a TV and video to help the couple relax for a few hours.  They were so impressed by this that after the successful birth they donated the eight units as a way of saying thank you.

The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, wanted to thank the maternity team because their professional and yet personal attention helped to make a very daunting step into the unknown world of parenthood relatively easy.

“Everyone in the unit is delighted with this generous gift,” said Patricia Davis, Head of Midwifery.  “Giving birth can be a very stressful experience, and we have found that providing TVs to watch can help women to relax by taking their minds off everything that is going on.  I am sure that this donation will prove popular with many proud mothers and fathers over the coming years.”

The couple who made the donation have visited the Maternity Unit to see their gift in place.