THE South Lakes Birth Centre at Furness General Hospital will receive a special royal visit next month.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will meet with midwifery staff and the mothers and babies they care for at the £12million state-of-the-art unit in Barrow.

The visit will also include a tour of the unit and a meeting with stakeholders and senior leaders of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) which manages Furness General Hospital.

Carol Carlile, Head of Midwifery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, UHMBT, said: “We are truly honoured to be one of only a few maternity units in the country to receive such a special visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

“It means a great deal to all of us to be recognised in this way, and we are really looking forward to having the opportunity to highlight the great work that happens at the South Lakes Birth Centre every single day.”

Taking place in September 2019, this will be the first royal visit to the South Lakes Birth Centre after being officially opened on February 14, 2018.