HOSPITAL bosses have delivered the best present they could give to Romsey's expectant mums - the reopening of the town's birth centre.

Southampton University Hospitals Trust's director of midwifery, Karen Baker, reopened the Romsey Hospital-based birth centre on Monday. It came nearly four months after the unit was temporarily shut down and midwifery staff transferred to other centres in the Southampton where there were shortages of care assistants.

Mums-to-be protested against the closure and feared it would be permanent but the birth centre it is now ready for new arrivals.

Mrs Baker, who promised last November, that the centre would reopen in the spring said: "This is a fantastic day and great news for Romsey. The hospital's League of Friends refurbished the bathroom and Jorgensen's painted and decorated the rooms. We are now ready for the mums and the first babies."

One North Baddesley mum-to-be said she could not wait to have her second child at the new-look birth centre. Sandra Judd said: "I had my first here and I am due to give birth to my second on April 3. This is a lovely place to have a baby and is just like home. I can appreciate why people can't come here for their first baby but if they are healthy there is no reason why shouldn't have their baby here. I urge all mums to come here. The staff are fantastic and it's an absolutely terrific atmosphere."

Maternity care assistant Di Maggiore said staff were pleased to be back at Romsey Birth Centre. "We are all over the moon to be back here and really pleased for Romsey ladies' that the centre has been reopened. It's nice for all eight maternity care assistants to be working together again."

Romsey Hospital League of Friends chairman, Diane Chambers, said: "I am delighted the birth centre has opened on time. We are always keen to support the birth centre. We have refurbished both bathrooms for about £8,000." Birth centre manager Jenny Charman added: "Jorgensen's supplied all the paint and did the work for nothing. Three companies agreed to help us out."

Managing director of Romsey-based Jorgensen Property Solutions, Pete Jorgensen, said: "As a father I understand the importance of access to top quality, local care. I am delighted that Jorgensen have been able to assist with this project. Jorgensen have been undertaking refurbishments in numerous local businesses for over 15 years. It's great to be able to give something back to the community that is responsible for the growth of our company."

Welcoming the birth centre's reopening Romsey's MP, Sandra Gidley, said: "It's important that hospital managers continue to realise that there is a healthy demand for what Romsey birth centre has to offer. A big plus is that women are more likely to have continuous care of midwifery throughout their labour. We must not give hospital managers any excuse to claims that there is a drop in demand. I urge more local women to consider using Romsey, as this will help ensure it remains open in future."

And Barbara Wyant, from Romsey branch of National Childbirth Trust, said: "It's fantastic that the birth centre is open again. The birth centre is quite central. Some women come here from Chandler's Ford and even Hedge End. It's great to see it busy again."