A SOUTHAMPTON hospital has completed a £700,000 upgrade of its maternity facilities.

Staff and patients at Princess Anne Hospital will unveil two new en-suite birthing rooms and a larger recovery area for women who have elective Caesarean sections.

The project was joint funded by University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust and the Department of Health.

It also involved a renovation of some labour wards as well as new waiting rooms for women and partners.

Maria Dore, head of midwifery at UHS, said: “We are delighted that our labour ward birthing environment has been upgraded. The development will not only allow us to provide our women and their babies with a refreshingly new setting, but ensure better privacy.’’