PRAISE has been heaped on the new hub by those who attended the celebratory launch.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr David Greenhalgh said: “I think this is such a step forward, it shows the great partnership working that is going on across the whole sectors, there is nothing more important than health as we all know.

“This is hugely important making that connection with ladies in the community to feel there is an approachable accessible service for them, which is tailored for them and I think it is fantastic.

“Everyone should be very proud that they have all worked together to create this.”

Bolton Mayor Cllr Linda Thomas added: “It is brilliant what they are doing. New mums are sometimes a little bit apprehensive they don’t particularly want to travel distances and to be with people you feel comfortable and you can talk to them.

“It’s an excellent initiative.”

More woman are beginning to access the centre, for pre-booked appointments as word begins to spread.

In the future, the community hub will evolve to bring in more services to provide family support, including healthy families and health visitors.

Chief Executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Fiona Noden said “We pride ourselves on personalised maternity care and choice. But it became clear to us that we were not always providing equitable care for those who often face various barriers in accessing and receiving care.

“The launch of the hub is the result of the significant steps taken to start to right this inequality. We want to improve the experience of maternity care for all women and families, and improve access to vital antenatal care for our diverse communities which will ultimately lead to better outcomes for families.”

She added: “I have an aspiration around actually reducing the size of the hospital footprint because everything we do is about the community working with our communities to really respond to what the needs are in the communities rather than getting them to the hospital.”

MP Yasmin Qureshi said she would highlighting the hub at a national level, describing it as a "brilliant intiative" and a vital service.