MEMBERS of the public are being invited to have their say over whether Helme Chase Maternity Unit should be given a new name.

There is now less than a month to go before the popular unit undergoes the controversial changes that will see it being run by midwives, without the involvement of consultants.

While the Helme Chase part of the name is to stay, staff are discussing whether they should remain as Helme Chase Maternity Unit, or change to Helme Chase Birth Centre.

Helme Chase Midwifery Unit is another option.

Birth centres are opening up throughout the country, and are becoming known as units run by midwives where normal births take place.

However, there are some worries the name could be too Americanised or 'trendy' for Helme Chase.

As part of their thorough preparation for becoming a midwife-led unit on September 1, the midwives invited a party of colleagues from Crowborough Birthing Centre, near Eastbourne, to visit Kendal and share their expertise.

Under the changes, women whose births are considered 'higher risk' will give birth at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary or Barrow's Furness General Hospital, but Helme Chase will still be able to offer ante-natal and post-natal care to all women.

So far expectant women have been positive about the changes, and midwives are hopeful the annual number of births will be in line with the predicted 350 to 360.

Senior midwife/manager Angela Oxley said: "The numbers seem absolutely fine at the moment.

We respect people's views and if they feel that they want to go to Lancaster that's absolutely fine, they can still have all their ante-natal care and post-natal care here.

"By far the majority who are eligible to deliver here still want to deliver here."

She praised the midwives who had coped with a great deal of change.

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust bosses have now agreed to fund the structural alterations for a new ' home-from-home' birth room at Helme Chase, which is planned to look like an ordinary bedroom, rather than a hospital room.

It will feature an en-suite bathroom with a large oval bath to accommodate water births and ease pressure on the popular birthing pool.

Members of the League of Friends of Helme Chase are busy fund-raising to equip the room, and it is hoped the unit will have an official opening to tie-in with the unveiling of the 'home-from-home' room later this year.

The Royal Lancaster Infirmary has recruited an additional five midwives to cope with the expected additional births, and the Kendal unit has increased the number of midwives working in the community, seeing women at their homes or GP surgeries.

The Helme Chase midwives are also planning to enter a float in the Kendal Torchlight Procession, to remind people they are still part of the community.

l Anyone who would like to comment on the unit's new name can contact Helme Chase on 01539-795375.