A MAN whose wife was seriously ill before and after the birth of their daughter has welcomed new £100,000 family rooms at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.

Brian Dodwell, 40, had nowhere to stay at the hospital when Tessa, 38, was admitted to the Silver Star Unit at the Women's Centre 31 weeks into her pregnancy.

And he said he was unable to bond with baby Eleanor, when she was born weighing 2lb 9oz five days later, because he was forced to return to the family home in Barford St Michael, near Banbury, every night.

He thinks the two ensuite family rooms, which include double settee beds and home comforts like duvets, microwaves and fridges, would have made it easier to be with his wife and child during the traumatic time last March.

Funding to turn a four-bed bay into the rooms - officially opened today - was raised by Silver Star supporters, and the furniture and white goods were donated by department store John Lewis.

Mr Dodwell, a purchasing manager for a firm near High Wycombe, said that before the rooms were available, men who did stay with their partners slept on the floor and had nowhere to shower or nearby to go to the toilet.

He added: "I did so much travelling and the days were really long because I was still working and there was nowhere for me to recharge my batteries.

"I was very lucky to see Eleanor being born. I just happened to be there at the time. If we'd had a family room I would've taken time off work, but there was no point doing that when she was sharing a bay."

The JR Silver Star Unit cares for pregnant women and their unborn children.

Mrs Dodwell was admitted with pre-eclampsia after suffering severe shooting pains. The condition affects women in the second half of pregnancy and can be fatal for both mother and baby.

When her condition started to deteriorate, doctors decided to deliver Eleanor by Caesarean.

She said: "My placenta had started to detach and we were told that if we'd left it another 30 minutes, Ellie would not have survived.

"She was taken to the special care baby unit and I didn't see her for two days, because I started to get organ failure."

Mrs Dodwell had to spend another week in hospital - without her husband's 24-hour support.

Prof Chris Redman, head of the Silver Star Unit, said many of the 500 women treated every year at the John Radcliffe Hospital needed many weeks of care, which made the family rooms vital for their wellbeing.

He added: "I brought Silver Star to the JR 35 years ago and at that time there was no plan for it to become a permanent arrangement.

"But it has grown, and gone from strength to strength."