Construction due to begin on new Alongside Midwifery-Led Unit for Antrim
Building works are due to get underway for an Alongside Midwifery-Led Unit (AMLU) at Antrim Area Hospital.
The Board of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has approved plans for construction of the £5.7m Alongside Midwife Led Unit ( AMLU) at Antrim Area Hospital. The contractor will be appointed shortly, and it is anticipated that works will commence before the end of April 2025, with a completion date of early 2026.
Welcoming the announcement, the Chair of the Northern Trust Board, Anne O’Reilly, said the new unit would give women in the Northern Trust area parity with the rest of the region.
She added: “This is a really good news story and fits with the vision we have for our maternity services. It is an important project for our Trust and another example of how we remain committed to improving experience and outcomes for our patients.
“I’m pleased that this unit will allow women to have more choice around their maternity care pathways and create equity across the entire region.”
The unit will create three additional birthing suites, separate to the main maternity ward, but women will continue to have access to the on-site obstetric and consultant-led services if needed. The unit will have its own separate entrance.
Suzanne Pullins, Executive Director of Nursing, Paediatrics and Women’s Services, said: “Unlike the four other HSC Trusts in the region, the Northern Trust has no midwifery-led unit currently, so this is a really welcome step closer to delivering improved experiences for women in our community.”
The development of the AMLU at Antrim was a requirement of the Permanent Secretary Peter May when he approved the recommendation of the Trust Board to consolidate all hospital births at Antrim Area Hospital.
Since July 2023, all hospital births have taken place at Antrim, while Causeway Hospital continues to provide both antenatal and postnatal care, as well as enhanced pregnancy clinics.
Any diversions as a result of construction works at the Antrim hospital site will be signposted for visitors and patients.
31st March 2025
