Birmingham leads the way with UK’s first dedicated Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
The specialist care of thousands of women, children and families in the West Midlands, is, from today, united under one dedicated trust – Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust – the first of its type in the UK.
Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, two of the country’s leading providers of specialist care, have been working together for some time on a joint ambition to create a single organisation that is focused on the needs of women, children and families.
While the two hospitals’ names and locations will remain the same, the new united team will provide more seamless care for patients across its two sites, invest more in making greater advances in its specialist services and have a stronger voice to shape the future of family-centred care in Birmingham and the region, for generations to come.
The Trust will continue the two hospitals’ ambitions for a joint facility in Edgbaston at some point in the future, and although work on options for this will continue, any new building would be subject to funding and unlikely to be developed for several years.
Chief Executive, Sarah-Jane Marsh, said:
“I am so thrilled that all of our hard work has finally paid off and our two amazing hospitals are now united under the leadership of one organisation – Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. This is the first important step in enabling our vision of delivering world-leading family-centred care for women, children and families in our region and beyond.
“We have the expertise, enthusiasm and passion to build on our already outstanding track record of delivering high-quality care, innovation and improvement, and together are committed to changing the face of healthcare for generations to come. An exciting future lies ahead!”
Chairman, Dame Christine Braddock DBE DL, said:
“This is such an important day for Birmingham Women’s and Birmingham Children’s Hospital as we formally come together as one. It’s been an exciting chapter in both hospitals’ histories and I’ve been honoured as Chairman to lead our two Boards and Governors to this point – a major development that I know will leave a long and lasting legacy for women’s and children’s health in the years ahead.”