In line with national plans from NHS England, the Trust has created a small group of midwives who will be responsible for the care of each woman throughout her pregnancy journey from antenatal to post-partum care.
By having a named midwife who is part of a small team, mums-to-be are expected to have a better birth experience and improved clinical and mental health outcomes for them, their new-born and their families. It allows women and families to have a close relationship with their midwife, based on mutual trust and focussed on the mum’s decisions about her care.
This comes after a national maternity review by NHS England revealed that women who had given birth thought that they saw too many midwives and doctors over the course of their pregnancy and they did not always know who they were and what their roles were.
The team, known as the Welbeck Midwives, will be in post from 2 December and will be supported by an obstetrician who can offer advice where appropriate. Each named midwife for mums-to-be will liaise closely with obstetric, neonatal and other services to make sure that she is getting the right care and that it is joined up with the care she is receiving in the community.
Lois Mellor, Head of Midwifery at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “We are excited to get the Welbeck team up and running here at Doncaster and Bassetlaw. It will make all of the difference to the women we provide care for and will allow them to have a trusted contact who knows about their care and the decisions they have made about their pregnancies. A personal rapport with your healthcare professional can ease anxiety and confusion and ultimately leads to better pregnancies, better births and better post-natal experiences which is what we’re striving for here at DBTH.”
A second team is already being developed to provide specialist care for mums-to-be who have pre-existing diabetes and a third team who will provide maternity care for vulnerable women will be up and running in the new year. The Trust is planning to create more of these community teams in the future and by 2021 most women in Doncaster and Bassetlaw will be cared for in this way during their pregnancies.
To help influence and guide their future plans, the Trust is looking for mothers and families who have used maternity services in Doncaster and Bassetlaw to attend an open event on 7 October. If you would like to attend, please call 01302 644244.