London, Jul 14 (PTI) Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has donated GBP 500,000 towards the refurbishment of the maternity unit of a north-west London hospital, marking the 75th anniversary of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS).

The 92-year-old House of Lords peer delivered the cheque earlier this month as a significant contribution towards a fundraising campaign for the improvement of the Northwick Park Hospital's maternity unit. He said the donation was in memory of his late wife who died aged 86 last year.

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“The maternity unit donation is made in honour of my dear late wife, Lady Aruna, who gave me my four darling children,” said Lord Paul.

“There are few things as important as helping bring a new life into the world. That is why I wanted to support the midwives and staff who do such wonderful work here at Northwick Park,” he said.

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Lord Paul was introduced to the hospital by a local parliamentarian friend, Labour Party MP Barry Gardiner, who suggested it as a worthy cause to the philanthropist.

“The maternity service has improved so much in recent years and women need a building that reflects the amazing quality of care they will find inside,” said Gardiner.

The donation will go towards improving the facade of the building and making improvements to the main entrance. The hospital is part of the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH), which provides hospital and community services to the people of Harrow, Brent and Ealing areas in London.

Northwick Park Hospital said its maternity unit serves one of the most diverse communities in Britain and delivers more than 4,000 babies a year. It is one of the first units in the country to offer a 24/7 translation service for pregnant women whose first language is not English.

“We are grateful to Lord Paul for his generous donation. I started my career as a midwife so I know how important it is to make women feel safe and comfortable in a maternity service. It is a place where they are putting their trust in the NHS to safely care for them during pregnancy and birth,” said Pippa Nightingale, Chief Executive of LNWH.

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