Health Minister returns to the Brighton hospital where he worked

Health Minister Dan Poulter is to visit the Brighton hospital where he worked just four years ago.

Dr Poulter is coming to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Eastern Road, Brighton, to see improvements to the maternity department.

He worked as a registrar at the Royal Sussex in 2009 and specialised in obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health.

He became a Conservative MP at the general election in May 2010 and in a parliamentary debate the same year he said that Royal Sussex had a shortage of midwives.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, has since used part of a £400,000 government grant to modernise the labour ward.

Dan Poulter

The grant was part of a £25 million programme aimed at improving maternity departments around the country.

Dr Poulter, 34, is due to meet women, their families and staff at the Royal Sussex as he takes a look at the changes for himself.

Birthing rooms have been enhanced and renovated to include en-suite toilets and bathrooms, which will improve the privacy and dignity of women on the labour ward.

Women in established labour previously had to leave the privacy of their own room and go into a public corridor to use shared toilets and bathrooms.

Similar work is being carried out at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Dr Poulter’s responsibilities at the Department of Health include nursing, maternity services, children’s health, NHS estates, the patient experience and patient safety.

Helen O’Dell, director of clinical operations for women and children and head of midwifery at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dan Poulter to our hospital for him to see the work we have done to improve our facilities in maternity.

“The work will make a big difference to improving privacy and dignity for women using the labour rooms and give them a more relaxing environment in which to give birth.”