WORK has started on a £1.8m makeover to bring Bradford’s 50-year-old maternity unit into the 21st Century.

The five-storey Women’s and Newborn Unit on Smith Lane at Bradford Royal Infirmary will be lots more energy efficient and more attractive thanks to the huge investment, says Janet Wright who is Clinical Director for Women and Children at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The unit, where more than 200,000 babies have been born since it was built, is in need of the revamp which will take about 40 weeks, she added.

“During this time the unit will continue to operate as normal; at times there may be some reduced capacity but this will be planned carefully so there is no disruption to mums and their babies,” said Ms Wright.

As well as making the building better fit for purpose, the makeover will also protect it from bad weather and fix issues with heat loss, draughts, noise and leaks, allowing the Foundation Trust to conserve energy and cut costs.

The refit will include new better insulated windows, refurbishment of the roof and weatherproof insulated cladding panels will be fixed to the outside of the building.

The cladding – Rockpanel FS-Xtra - is made from the latest ultimate fireproof materials and goes beyond British regulatory standards and checks for fire safety.

It cladding also meets European fire safety standards.

Ms Wright said: “The refurbishment will bring a host of benefits to our patients and staff, particularly as the weather gets colder during the winter months.

“We want to make the unit – which welcomes mums, babies and their families, as comfortable and welcoming as possible.

“The original maternity block was built in the 1960s and is definitely looking its age. Despite this, the building and the services run from within hold a special place in the affections of local people.

“This investment is intended to bring it into the 21st century.”

The investment is part of the Trust’s £75m capital build programme to improve patient care across its hospitals over a five-year period, which includes the new £28m wing at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The wing includes world-class facilities for elderly care, children’s services, a state-of-the-art intensive care unit with extra single-rooms and a retail concourse.

In 2015, the Trust officially opened its new £2 million neonatal unit. Recently its maternity services were shortlisted for the Royal College of Midwives’ (RCM) Midwifery Service of the Year Award, recognising excellence and innovation in the provision of maternity care.

Earlier this year the Trust also completed a £2m refurbishment of its Emergency Department.