BIRTH partners will be able to stay overnight at the Princess Royal University Hospital’s maternity unit thanks to a £52,000 cash injection from the Department of Health.

The South London Healthcare NHS Trust is set to use the money to purchase reclining chairs to enable family members to sleep in the ward.

This is set to improve the experience for women, especially when undergoing an induction of labour or following a caesarean section.

And the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich has been given £400,000 to build a birthing centre.

The Trust’s chief midwife Donna Ockenden said: “We are delighted to have been granted this money to improve the birthing environment for women.

“The Oasis midwifery-led unit at the Princess Royal Hospital has been a real success and this extra funding will mean that the same facilities will now be available for any parents using the services at Queen Elizabeth.”