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Three national awards in three years for St Peter’s midwives
Written by Head of Communications   

On Monday 19th July a team of midwives from St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey made a special trip to the Houses of Parliament to collect a Highly Commended All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity Award. The award was given to the hospital’s birth reflections service for the exceptional level of aftercare and support offered to women following pregnancy, in the category of ‘responsive, woman-centred, family focused postnatal care’.

Explains Deputy Head of Midwifery Julie Frohlich: “Our birth reflections service gives all women the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their pregnancy and birth experience with a specialist midwife counsellor in a safe, unhurried and confidential environment.”
 
 
 
 
There has been a steady and significant rise in the number of women and their partners who use the birth reflections service since it was established ten years ago. Julie said: “Most women will have a relatively straightforward pregnancy and birth experience but it can leave some women feeling physically and emotionally exposed, especially if there have been complications such as an emergency caesarean or a major haemorrhage. The service offers particular support to those women, enabling them to gain a better understanding of what actually happened during the birth. The midwives also counsel and support pregnant women with an unusual and persistent fear of childbirth and other emotional and mental health problems.”

Another dimension to the team’s work is bereavement counselling support, for families who have lost a baby through miscarriage, termination for fetal abnormality or stillbirth. St Peter’s has the only level three neonatal intensive care unit in the area and admits ‘high risk’ referrals from other maternity units, which can mean they see more women who have a particularly stressful pregnancy and birth with uncertain outcomes.

Talking about the award, Associate Director of Maternity Services Eileen Nolan said: “This award is testament to the dedication of our midwives and other staff and we are very proud to receive it. The birth reflections service is unique, not commonly provided within maternity units and really does make a big difference to the women who use it. We want to provide the best possible maternity services and are always looking at how we can improve things. Winning three national awards in three years is an honour and shows how far we have come in a relatively short time.”

Last Updated ( Monday, 26 July 2010 08:51 )