A new vision for the Northern Trust maternity

For most women pregnancy and childbirth are natural life events, yet the service must also be able to respond appropriately to those who require highly specialised treatment for any complications.

To plan how we do that we have developed a strategy that supports this.

Today the Northern Health and Social Care Trust will launch the new maternity strategy that was developed jointly by those who provide the service and the women who use the service.

The strategy will set out the vision for the way maternity services should evolve in the future.

The prospect of parenthood is often a very exciting time, but it can also bring anxiety about the birth process and the responsibilities of becoming a parent. Maternity care is not just about the safe delivery of healthy babies to healthy mothers; it also has significant impact on long-term health outcomes.

It should provide a service from before conception throughout pregnancy and beyond delivery. It will be flexible enough to deal with the clinical and social needs of women and their families whatever the outcome for mother and baby.

The new maternity strategy has been developed with the purpose of achieving this vision and creating a modernised maternity service, which is mother and baby centred and is benchmarked against best practice standards.

The strategy will outline six core principles of the new modernised maternity service. Promoting pregnancy as a normal life event, striving continuously to improve within a learning culture, providing a comprehensive range of maternity services, reducing inequalities, ensuring a seamless service and being women-centred are all vital to the strategies success.

Mary Maxwell, Head of Midwifery and Gynaecology said, "The strategy is based on six key principles in delivering maternity services and takes into account the challenges in planning and resourcing the service. We can use these principles as our solid foundation to build on and improve further the Trust's maternity service".

As part of the learning culture and continuing professional development, Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training (PROMPT) is compulsory for all maternity staff. It is the first course of its kind to produce an evidence base that improves patient outcomes by using actual simulations of emergency maternity situations.

In providing a comprehensive range of maternity services, the new feto-maternal assessment unit in Antrim is an innovative approach. It gives expectant mothers support and expertise in circumstances that previously would have required admission to hospital and separation from family. The unit is open from 7.30am to 8.30pm and offers an assessment service provided by midwives supported by the obstetric team, it is situated within the maternity unit in Antrim Hospital.

"Working in partnership with women, to ensure a seamless service and a pathway for childbirth, we will guarantee that our role as specialists, midwives and obstetricians together, will as far as possible be aimed at being proactive ensuring a safer, quality service for all". said Dr Robert McMillen, Clinical Director.

Under the new strategy a clear midwifery leadership structure has been implemented. Four lead midwives have been appointed, along with a team of senior midwives. There are plans in place to appoint a consultant midwife by 2010 to enhance midwifery leadership, with a view to developing midwifery models of care and offering a range of options to women who have lower risk pregnancies. The midwifery team in union with the Clinical Director and the team of consultants will be responsible for training, developing and delivering a safe, quality, caring service inline with the strategy.

The improvements in services has been reflected by the Northern Trusts placement in the top 25% of UK hospital maternity services, when viewed against almost all of the recognised major performance indicators.

"Our vision is to provide you and your family with safe, quality maternity care that will meet your particular needs". concluded Mary Maxwell, Head of Midwifery and Gynaecology."