MOTHERS babies, midwives and doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary are set to welcome a right royal visitor.

The city’s maternity unit will be showcasing its award-winning work to Princess Anne when she visits on Tuesday in her role as Patron of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The Princess Royal will be visiting the midwife-led Birth Centre, the consultant-led labour ward, and the Snowdrop Bereavement Suite. She will also meet with staff and talk to new mothers to hear about their experiences of giving birth.

The RCM President Professor Lesley Page and Chief Executive Cathy Warwick along with NHS staff and dignitaries will accompany the Princess Royal on her visit.

The visit will highlight the work being done by midwives and other members of the maternity team at the unit, to enhance pregnancy and birth experiences.

During the visit, she will hear about the Better Start Bradford project which is working to improve outcomes for women in a deprived area of the city.

And she will be finding out about the landmark Born in Bradford project, a cutting-edge research study tracking the lives of thousands of children born in the district.

There will also be a focus on the RCM’s Better Births initiative which aims to encourage normality throughout pregnancy and birth for all women. The initiative is working to increase access to midwifery-led continuity of care, and to reduce maternal and newborn health inequalities.

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As part of the Princess Royal ‘s visit, she will also be unveiling a commemoration plaque.

Chief Executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Clive Kay said: “We are delighted that Her Royal Highness has chosen to visit our maternity services in her role as patron of the RCM.

“The staff are very much looking forward to meeting her to explain how we work with women and their families to provide highly valued, personalised care and choice in a safe and welcoming birth environment.

“Her Royal Highness will also get the opportunity to tour our first-class maternity facilities and speak with our dedicated and professional workforce.”

Professor Lesley Page, President of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is an exceptional maternity team offering women, their babies and families excellent care. I am delighted that The Princess Royal is making this visit to the Trust’s maternity unit.”

The Princess Royal last visited the BRI in January 2015 when she met graduates from Project SEARCH, helping to celebrate an employment scheme which has helped give young people with learning disabilities the opportunities to learn the necessary skills and experience to gain future employment.