10:28am Friday 26th March 2010
By David Lindsell
Kingston Hospital has set up a new website to promote its maternity unit.
Last year 5,803 babies were born at Kingston Hospital - more than any other hospital in south-west London.
The website provides a wealth of information about the care women can expect to receive and even offers a virtual tour of the maternity unit.
Women can also use the website to self-refer themselves to Kingston Hospital instead of going through their GP.
Lynn Smith, head of midwifery at Kingston Hospital, said: "It is hoped that women will use the website throughout their pregnancy to access information about the different stages of pregnancy, labour and postnatal care.
"It will be used as a two-way communication mechanism, with the hospital being able to communicate news, such as bad weather conditions and the impact on services."
The website also advises expectant mothers who are anxious about the unit's future that "closure is not imminent".
Although rated as weak for maternity, along with the other hospitals in south west London, chief executive Kate Grimes has criticised the statistics used by the review, praising patient care by midwives and pointing to the rating's failure in "ethnic coding".
See the website at kingstonmaternity.org.uk
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