Archie Lawrence Young – Last baby born at Infirmary

Carly and Jordan Young with their new arrival Archie and Finley, 3

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Archie Lawrence Young was the last baby to be born at the Rochdale Infirmary.

Archie was born at 6.34am on Friday 24 June, the day before inpatient maternity and children’s services were transferred from Rochdale to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Archie, who weighed 8lbs, is the second child of Carly and Jordan Young from Norden. Their first child, Finley, is three-years-old.

Mrs Young arrived at the maternity ward on Thursday (23 June) at 10.30pm. The last admittance was midnight.

She said: “I had seen the consultant on the Monday and we knew it was imminent and that we had until Friday, they had started making provisions for going to Oldham, but luckily it didn’t come to that.”

Archie is almost one week old, Mrs Young said: “At the time you don’t really think of it, but the midwife had trained there as a cadet and was delivering the last baby. She spent her whole career on that ward. It is really significant.” 

The Youngs praised the midwives, Liz Wild and Nicola Horton.

Mrs Young said not having a maternity unit in Rochdale is “scary” she added “It is really sad, I had both my children there and we were really well looked after.

“It is worrying enough being pregnant, especially if you’re a first time mum, and you have to factor in worrying about where you’re going to go.”

Speaking about Archie, she said: “He is really good, really content. Finley spends all day cuddling and kissing him.”

Rochdale Infirmary no longer has a children’s inpatient ward, and, there will be no births, no overnight antenatal or overnight postnatal care. Other maternity services, including routine outpatient antenatal care and scans, remain at the hospital.