Chorley Hospital - TENS Machines
UPDATE: This equipment was delivered in 2009.
Chorley District Hospital operates a busy maternity unit taking expectant mothers from across Chorley and South Ribble. The unit handles an average of 280 births each year.
The ward manager has asked us to provide three Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Machines (TENS Machines). These increasingly popular devices are used during labour, to reduce pain without the use of drugs. The devices work by applying a small electrical current through the base of the back during contractions to reduce the body’s response to pain.
Use of drugs such as Pethidine lead to risks to the baby, as they pass through the placenta, leading to drowsiness at birth which can cause the baby to take longer to begin breathing, and struggle to feed for the first hours.
Using a TENS Machine reduces the pain of contractions, helping the mother to avoid using drugs where possible. As a result the baby will be delivered free from any ill effects from drugs, which cuts down on risks of complications.
The tens machines will cost £89.95 each, and we have agreed to fund three. The total cost to provide these machines will be £269.85. We do not pay VAT on medical items.