A MUM of two is helping to shape the future of health services for women and children at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Maureen Farrell, aged 30, has been brought in to give her views on a new £20 million maternity supercentre after having two babies at the hospital in two years.

Mrs Farrell was asked to join a working group for maternity services and has been acting as a “mum’s champion” by giving feedback on the plans from a mother’s perspective.

Mrs Farrell had her daughter, Micah, aged two, and son, Bradley, who is nine months old, at the Princess Anne Maternity Unit.

Hospital bosses thought she was ideally placed to help improve services for new mums.

She said: “I’ve had my children at Bolton, and although the staff did everything they could to help, I had some definite suggestions on how facilities could be improved.

“I decided I wanted to help women have a more positive birth experience, and if my views can help improve the plans, then I’ll do all I can to help.

“I believe it’s best to ask mums what they think — as a mum you are going through the experience.

“The service users can give a better insight into the way forward for maternity and children’s services.”

Facilities under the scheme will include an expanded maternity unit, bigger neonatal unit and a new children’s ward.

There will also be 70 more midwives, extra consultant obstetricians and neonatologists and another 68 neonatal nurses.

Mrs Farrell, who is married to Simon, has been able to give her views on what mums and their children need.

She said: “My feedback has mainly been around giving people more information and I’ve also helped with a questionnaire to get the views of new mums.”

Mrs Farrell, from Atherton, has also suggested better heating and lighting controls for individual patients, more relaxing colour schemes and areas where partners can stay.

Cathy Atherton, a consultant midwife at the hospital, said: “We knew Maureen would provide us with constructive feedback.

“Some of her suggestions have been very insightful and we may not have thought of them.”

As a “thank you”, Mrs Farrell and her children have been invited to cut the first turf to mark the start of the work this summer.

The supercentre is due to be completed between the end of 2011 and mid 2012.