NEW initiatives are helping to reduce the trauma for couples struggling to conceive - and others preparing for childbirth.

Patients have responded well to a series of innovations being pioneered at the Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital.

They come as the future of obstetrics and gynaecology in East Lancashire reaches a critical stage.

Looming on the horizon is the prospect of new clinical and assessment treatment centres, across Lancashire, which could provide a direct alternative when it comes to meeting gynaecology and urology targets.

But it seems that regardless of the politics, leading medics in East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust's ob-gyn' department are ploughing ahead with more improvements than ever before.

These range from a pre-operation assessment clinic, where a nurse checks a patient before surgery, to see if they are fit to go under the knife, or if another procedure would be more appropriate in their case.

Not only are unnecessary operations avoided but an up-to-date picture can then be presented to specialists.

Proposals are also being drawn up for a new helpline, for more involved operations, which will help to allay the fears and worries of concerned patients.

Elsewhere a new specialist fertility clinic, run by a nurse specialising in reproductive medicine, has had a favourable response also.

Instead of waiting to see a busy consultant, the nurse can meet with couples and explore their medical histories, and potential obstacles, before fertility treatment is considered.

Another branch of gynaecology deals specifically with urinary complaints, such as women suffering with incontinence and pelvic floor problems.

Trials of a new service, where individuals deal with a single person for counselling, assessment and bladder tests is making an impact, as is a helpline being run by urogynaecology nurse specialist Alison Hill.

Gary Willet, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said: "We wanted to ensure that our patients were seen as quickly as possible and have no barriers in accessing their treatment.

"It was for this reason we have made the changes, which are proving so successful with the people we help."

With more stringent NHS waiting targets coming into play this year, any assistance offered by new services will be welcomed by health managers.