Charity's donation leads to improvement in maternity care at Basildon
By Nub News Reporter 23rd Jun 2026
NINE new machines are improving care for expectant and new mums who need continuous monitoring across maternity services at Basildon Hospital.
The upgrade and expansion of this equipment were made possible thanks to more than £40,000 donated by Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity.
The funding has contributed to seven wall-mounted baby heart-monitoring machines, as well as two mobile devices.
A new central monitoring system, used across antenatal, labour and maternity theatre areas, also links all the baby heart-monitoring machines to one hub.
The good news coming out of the maternity unit at Basildon is a welcome contrast to a litany of recent criticisms.
Only last month Thurrock Nub News reported on action by staff at the unit, who are suing the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust after being forced to work in dangerous conditions.
And in January Trust bosses were criticised for failing to make improvements as the unit was declared as 'requires improvement'.
Last year Thurrock MPs Jen Craft and James McMurdock welcomed news of an investigation into the long term failings of maternity services in the region.
In a public letter to the Trust Mrs Craft called for 'urgent improvements to address the history of poor performance and deliver a safer service for patients'.
Over the past decade, the maternity unit has come under significant fire from mums and mums-to-be for the standards of care.
Reflecting on the arrival of new equipment, Danielle Atkins, Fetal Monitoring Lead Midwife, explained its importance, saying: "Central monitoring gives us a clear, real-time view of what's happening across the whole maternity unit. This upgrade to existing monitoring equipment is important as pregnancies have become more complex in recent years, and more women now need regular monitoring.
"Being able to check fetal activity remotely helps us make quicker decisions, focus on the women who need us most, and work more efficiently as a team. It strengthens patient safety and supports smoother, more coordinated care."
The machines' main purpose is to check fetal wellbeing by monitoring the baby's heart rate and uterine activity. They are used when concerns arise - such as reduced fetal movements, complications like diabetes, or any situation where a pregnancy is considered high-risk.
Lucy Thomas-Clayton, Director of Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity, said: "We're proud to support this important project, as these improvements give staff even better tools to care for women and babies. Just as importantly, they offer real reassurance to families throughout pregnancy and labour."
The good news at the materbnity unite follows quickly of the footsteps of a potentially huge development at the neighbouring Cardiothoracic Centre
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