WOMEN and babies at Basildon Hospital are benefitting from a new £11,000 wireless machine that helps monitor both their health in real-time during labour.

The cardiotocography (CTG) machine is used to monitor a baby's heart rate and a mother's contractions during pregnancy, but what is great a about this version of the machine is that it is portable.

Being wireless, it also means that women and birthing people in labour can have the freedom to walk around the ward without the limitations of wires to static monitors. It is also waterproof, meaning that it can used in a birthing pool, when previously it would have not been possible because of monitoring restrictions.

Kate Griffiths, Midwife, said: "Wireless CTG monitoring improves what we can offer in terms of comfort, mobility and dignity to women and birthing people in labour.

"This is only our second wireless monitor, they provide greater mobility during labour, which helps with pain relief as well as allowing labour to progress quicker. And in times when surgical intervention is needed, the monitor can remain in use which means that our team can act as fast as is needed."

Buying the machine has only been made possible thanks to the generous donation of £11,000 from the League of Friends for Basildon Hospital.

League of Friends chairman Alan Ursell said: "We are so pleased that we have been able to support the maternity unit with the funding for this new device. Our team of volunteers work extremely hard to ensure that funding such as this is possible, being able to give back to patients and hospital staff is at the centre of everything we do."

League of Friends for Basildon Hospital was formed over 50 years ago and through its tea-bar at Basildon Hospital, which is run by their dedicated volunteers, has raised an impressive £1.6 million.

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All of that money has been ploughed back into equipment to help patients at the hospital.