AN incredible 19 members of the same family were all born at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital - and a further two work for the NHS in Somerset.

Parents Alan and Jacqui Chedzoy, both psychiatric nurses at Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, had their five daughters at Musgrove.

All five have NHS connections - Kate is a senior nurse at the Somerset Intensive Care Unit, based next to Musgrove's maternity department; Hannah, Hayley and Jade are all healthcare assistants at the hospital; and Emilie is an NHS England neonatal screening administrator based there.

Between them, the daughters went on to have a total of 14 children at Musgrove.

And maternity care assistant Margret Welstead was involved in all 19 births of the births - and was also the five siblings' dinner lady at North Town Primary School, in Taunton.

Kate said: "I always wanted to go into nursing, and I’m sure having parents who are both nurses played a part in that.

"I’ve been really lucky to have seen the birth of two of my sister’s children during my time here, and cared for my niece Hildi while she was in neo-natal intensive care for a short time. At one point, three of my sisters were all in the maternity unit together at the same time."

Hayley Peters, chief nurse at Musgrove, added: “To see so many members of one family come together to celebrate the care they received on our maternity department is simply wonderful, but to know that they have also chosen to work in the NHS and within Somerset too makes their story even more inspiring.

"Kate, her parents and her sisters are all brilliant advocates for nursing, highlighting the pride they have in their own workplaces as somewhere they have received care as a patient."

The Chedzoys came forward to tell their story in response to Love Musgrove's Musgrove Babies appeal to raise £100,000 to update maternity facilities.

People are urged to hold fundraising events or to text BABIES, followed by a donation amount between £1 and £20 to 70085, or visit lovemusgrove.org.uk/musgrove-babies

If you or someone you know was born at Musgrove Park Hospital, you can also upload a current picture or baby photos using #MusgroveBabies on social media to join the community of people born at the hospital. Head to https://walls.io/y7a5u to see who has shared their story so far.