hello Barbican
I've given birth there. DD was born in the new unit, DS was born in Edwardian, now demolished dump!
Firsly, there is a way of getting around the no tours policy. I guess you have a community midwife, mine was based at 1A rosebery ave, and from your name I'm guessing you live in the Barbican?? maybe you're at 1A? anyway, these midwives have clinics at UCH so ask whether you can have an antenatal appointment when they have a UCH clinic, then Bobs your uncle, you're in there! They usually see you in the Birthing centre so you get to see what the rooms are like.
The facilities are great and the service you get entirely depends on how busy they are! Sorry but this is what you'll find all over London, It's russian roulette. When I went in the Birthing Suite was fairly quiet but my midwife was attending another woman, so, no one to one as the gov likes to think.
I was worried that I was in for another, leave you to get on with it, end up terrified story like I had with DS but DD moved so quickly I suddenly became a priority and the midwife had to stay with me. DD was born, quickly and efficiently, with no tearing or intervention, the fact that you've got a high trained back up resource down the corridor should anything go wrong is very reassuring.
Again, because they wern't so busy, we didnt have to give up the room I gave birth in so they got DH bed and we all stayed the night - was fantastic, I had my own shower/loo.
If it had been busy I would have been dumped on Labour ward and DH would have had to have gone home.
We saw Labour ward next day and it was like a field hospital, frankly horrible, no privacy, queues for loos, loads of noise. The birthing centre was so tranquil by comparison.
Apparently though the new maternity unit was not designed to cater for the recent spike in the birth rate, the Bloombury Birthing centre remains, under used (people tend to want to at least consider Epidurals which you can't have on the Birthing centre), so you're more like to get a better service there.
If it all goes well, is quiet and you get to stay it feels like a private hospital, only giveaway is the builders tea and instant coffee. Hope this helps. Good luck