CELEBRATIONS were in full swing at a "pioneering" midwifery-led birth suite that has brought thousands of babies into the world since its opening 10 years ago.

Staff, families and the president of The Royal College of Midwives turned out to mark the 10th anniversary of the suite at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

One family praised the midwives and overall care provision they received as they welcomed their newborn baby into the world on the Princess Anne Maternity Unit.

Midwives hailed the birth suite as a "home-from-home environment" that meets women's needs, with as many as 1,000 women giving birth there every year.

David Wakefield, chairman of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees the running of the hospital, said: "Bolton's jewel in the crown is women's and children's services.

"This unit is fantastic — we have created an integrated package bringing together the community and the hospital.

"This suite is a role model for the trust. I am very proud of them."

The suite was officially opened in April, 2008 by the Department of Health's "maternity tsar" Gwyneth Lewis.

It consists of five birthing rooms, with four rooms for water births. Between 30 and 40 per cent of women using the unit have a pool birth.

Midwife Amanda Benko said: "It is a home-from-home environment, meeting the women's needs.

"There is no restriction on visiting times. It is a relaxed environment and there is a friendly atmosphere."

In 2015, there were around 1,000 births on the birth suite, with that figure fluctuating slightly year on year.

Kathryn Gutteridge, president of The Royal College of Midwives and a consultant midwife, attended the celebration at the suite yesterday.

She said: "At a time when this started, it was so courageous to have a midwife facility, even in a hospital.

"I would like to think that, at the heart of every maternity unit, there is a midwifery-led birth facility because we need to know that having a baby is a normal journey and that wherever a mother is in that journey, a midwife will be with them."

At the event, Kevin Hinder and Victoria Munhall were celebrating the arrival of their baby boy, born at 3.10pm on Wednesday.

Daniel James Gary Hinder weighed in at a healthy 7lb 11.5oz

Mum Mrs Munhall, from Swinton, said: "We started off on this suite.The care was really good. They saw to me straight away. They carried out an assessment.

"There were a few complications and we ended up on the delivery ward.

"Penny Grundy, my midwife and general manager, was brilliant. She explained everything that was happening."

Mr Hinder said: "We had an assistant student midwife with us as well as two other members of staff.

"They were brilliant and really supportive."

Mums and staff helped to plan and design the suite, including the layout and colour schemes.

Cathy Atherton, who was instrumental in setting it up when she was the consultant midwife, said: "We did not have a midwifery-led facility at the time. It was a time of change, very different from what we already knew. Bolton was pioneering.

"We took women on the journey with us — those who had, and were due to give birth.

"The whole suite is totally women focused.

"Seeing it 10 years on is just wonderful."

Consultant midwife Catherine Owens said: "Celebrating 10 years of promoting normal birth in women in a midwifery-led birth centre is a very momentous occasion.

"We are very proud to share this day with Kathryn Gutteridge, with staff past and present who have been instrumental in setting up the birth suite, and with mums who have birthed here on our unit."