MORE than 1,500 women could give birth in a temporary delivery suite as a major revamp of York's maternity ward takes place.

But Margaret Jackson, head of midwifery at York District Hospital, has moved to reassure women and their partners that the disruption will be minimal - and it will result in a much-improved delivery ward.

The work is expected to start next April and last for six months, potentially affecting half of the 3,000 women who pass through the unit each year.

During the project the delivery ward will be modernised and the ventilation and electrical systems will also be upgraded to ensure it meets statutory requirements.

But before that work can take place, a temporary operating theatre must be built and a temporary delivery suite constructed within the hospital.

Mrs Jackson said: "Most of these changes are based on what women and their partners wanted.

"We tried to talk to as many women as we could as part of the Impact project to improve services."

Maternity services at the hospital have already been boosted as part of a £869,700 capital scheme.

There are now rooms for partners of women in the early stages of labour and those being induced, there are an increased number of bathrooms and shower rooms and there is a new day room, dining room, and visitors room, were also created. Now the major part of the scheme, costing £765,000, will take place plus extra maintenance which was identified after the original bid was submitted.

It means York Health Services NHS Trust must fund the rest of the scheme at a cost of £650,000.

The special care baby unit will also be temporarily affected while the maintenance work is carried out.

Mrs Jackson said the work was necessary to improve the service at the hospital, building on improvements that have already been made.

She said: "There will be appropriate facilities for us to use while the work is going on.

"The work should take six months and hope the new facilities will be ready by September next year."

Updated: 11:45 Friday, November 01, 2002