Executive boxes at Franklin’s Gardens being used as maternity care clinic for Northampton General Hospital

A number of executive boxes at Franklin’s Gardens have been made available to be used as maternity care clinics.

Northampton Saints have teamed up with Northampton General Hospital to offer midwives space to deliver care for expectant mothers as hospitals and GP surgeries are under pressure during the pandemic.

A total of 15 midwives and support staff are now using several of the boxes in the Carlsberg stand for clinics, after two players - Lewis Ludlam and Paul Hill - helped to move in their equipment on Saturday (May 30).

Tighthead prop Paul Hill is himself expecting a new arrival this month and was proud the club could support the local health service during a time of need.

The 25-year-old said: “It’s great to see the community midwives given a temporary home here at Franklin’s Gardens where they can continue their vital work supporting expectant mothers.

“My fiancée is due in the coming days so no doubt we will be back here ourselves!”

“Saints are always trying to do as much as possible to help our community here in Northampton, and it was a pleasure to lend a small hand to the midwives to move their equipment on Saturday.

“All NHS Staff and emergency service workers deserve our gratitude for all their hard work and the sacrifices they have made in recent weeks.”

The clinics are now running at Franklin’s Gardens from 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, with staff conducting antenatal checks for women in the first weeks of their pregnancy all the way up to their due date.

The maternity care clinic is delivering services that are already provided by the NHS Trust within the community and in GP clinics.

Anne Richley, community midwifery matron, added: “We had been working in doctors’ surgeries but understandably GP’s were reluctant to have healthy women walking in there, so for a few weeks we centralised the community maternity service in the Day Surgery Unit in the basement of the hospital.

“Now that Unit is starting up again, which is fantastic, but it meant we had to look for a new venue – and Saints has the perfect space for us, with a number of private rooms now kitted out with everything we need, and people having their temperature taken at reception as they come in.

“We also get an idyllic view over the recently regrown pitch!

“Some mothers were really nervous about heading into a hospital, so we put plenty of measures in place to combat that, and it seems they are more relaxed here – and you can tell some of their male partners are very jealous dropping them off at the stadium!”

To book an antenatal appointment now, please call 01604 523364. New pregnancies please call 01604 545430 to get started.

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