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Location

• St Thomas' Hospital
  7th floor, North Wing
  Westminster Bridge Road
  London SE1 7EH

  Reception: 020 7188 2973
  Fax: 020 7188 6845
  Ward staff: 020 7188 2975

• 

This page is aimed at women who are planning to give birth at St Thomas' Hospital. If you or your baby may need extra care during labour, you will be looked after in the hospital birth centre, which is obstetric-led.

About the centre

The centre consists of:

• 18 single, en-suite rooms, including
  • 5 for elective use only
  • 2 dedicated rooms on the SANDS Suite for women who have had still births or neonatal deaths
• a 3 bedded high dependency unit
• 2 dedicated specialist obstetric theatres.

Visiting hours|

Only 2 visitors are allowed while you are in the hospital birth centre. Other visitors can see you and your baby on the postnatal ward|.

We allow flowers in the centre, except in our high dependency unit.

  

Your care in the centre  

You will be under the care of a consultant and his or her team of doctors. We have a consultant on call for the hospital birth centre who is in the hospital until 9pm during the week and until at least 1pm at weekends.

You will be given a named midwife at the start of every shift.  If you have any questions or problems, please talk to your midwife. If he/she is unable to help, your questions will be directed to the midwife in charge that day.

All staff caring for you will introduce themselves to you and will be wearing an ID badge.

Our facilities

The Hospedia (formerly patientline) service| by your bed offers a radio that you can use for free and a television, which you have to pay for.

You can use your mobile phone in the centre, except for in the high dependency unit or theatre as they can interfere with electrical equipment. There is also a payphone in the centre.

Meals

Due to the nature of the centre, you will not generally be offered a meal unless your midwife is happy for you to eat. Hot drinks are available at all times from the tea trolley, which is in the kitchenette. This is free for patients, but we ask relatives to make a small donation.

Our staff

The centre is staffed 24 hours a day with at least 3 obstetricians and 1 anaesthetist.

We have 11 midwives and 2 healthcare assistants (HCAs) in the daytime and 13 midwives and 1 healthcare assistant at night.

You may also meet our housekeeping and catering teams or the porter who work Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.

Key staff

• Sally Trotter, matron
• Dee Laker, midwifery practice leader

For a full list of staff working in the centre, see our maternity team page|.