New maternity ward opens

East Ham MP Stephen Timms cut the ribbon on Larch Ward, which has been in use since July.

In March, Mr Timms launched work on Newham University Hospital NHS Trust’s �17.5m state-of-the-art Maternity and Newborn redevelopment.

He said: “These facilities really are first class. It has been a big morale boost for the local community to see the transformation in this hospital over the last few years.”

He was joined by Kelly Arnold, mother to the first baby boy born on the unit, and her son Isaac.

She said: “Being in Larch Ward was like being in a hotel and it had a big buzz around it.

“I was lucky to be one of the first mums to use it and now I say to my friends how lucky they are to be giving birth there.”

The opening was also attended by Michaela Morris, the Trust’s Interim Chief Executive; Christine Pidgeon, Director of Nursing and Midwifery; Hugh Steward, Director of Environment and Client Services, and Andrew Osborne, Deputy Chairman of Osborne (parent company of the Trust’s building partner Medicinq Osborne.