New Leighton maternity hub saves trips to the hospital

The maternity hub at Leighton Road Surgery allows women choosing to have their babies at Luton & Dunstable Hospital to have all their antenatal care delivered in Leighton Buzzard.

Ultra scans, blood tests and all other midwifery services are available in one location, avoiding the need for women to travel to the L&D Hospital in Luton.

Head of community midwifery Tracey Scrivener said: “We are extremely pleased to have opened this new hub in Leighton Buzzard.

“Some 700 to 800 women from the area choose to have their babies at the L&D and a midwife is now available for consultation every weekday, and on call at weekends, close to where they live, which is much more convenient.”

The pioneering hub was championed by the surgery’s late director, Dr Tariq Hafez, who died in his native Egypt last month.

Fellow Leighton Road Surgery partner Dr Farah Paruk said: “Dr Hafez’s vision for the local maternity hub has positively impacted so many families.

“It has been a huge success as well as a beacon for more integrated care both amongst local surgeries but also between primary and secondary care.”

Dr Hafez also was a leading light in pushing forward the surgery’s merger with Grovebury Road Surgery – which became effective on July 1 last years.

The joint practice is now known as Leighton Road Surgery.

The merger came on the back of an extensive public engagement exercise with patient surveys suggesting strong support, as well as extensive coverage in the LBO.