30th January 2012
A Northern Ireland Trust has won an award at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards. The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust scooped the NHS Employers Maternity Employer of the Year Award for its support and commitment to staff working to provide maternity care.
The midwives at the Trust have been supported to develop innovative, midwifery-led care for the benefit of women. Both midwives and the public have a strong voice on the design of all the buildings, helping to ensure that maternity services are truly women-focused. The Trust stands out as the only one in Northern Ireland to have stand-alone midwife led birth centres and a stand-alongside midwife led unit, with en-suite birthing pools in every room, resulting in high water labours and water births.
This commitment has also been matched in other ways, such as the introduction of specialist midwifery posts including bereavement support, practice development and research opportunities. Midwives in these roles have won regional and national awards for their work.
Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers organisation, said: “The direction taken by the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust showcases how effective staff engagement has a positive impact on both patients and staff. There is compelling evidence(1) showing clear links between high levels of staff engagement and better patient care. The best employers engage with their staff to improve patient safety and enhance the patient experience and the NHS Employers organisation congratulates the Trust on its recent achievements."
Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said:“This demonstrates that there is wonderful and ground-breaking work being done by midwives when employers give them the backing and support. I congratulate the Trust on winning this award.
“Midwifery practice is always moving forward and innovating. This shows that if we give midwives the resources and the freedom, the result is better services for women, babies and their families.”
Elaine Madden, Head of Midwifery & Gynaecology, South Eastern HSC Trust adds ”The level of engagement between the South Eastern HSC Trust Directors, the users of our service and the maternity team ensures a united vision with true ‘women centred care’ the focus. I believe we have been able to move forward in progressing innovative practices and midwifery posts surrounded by visible support encouragement, enthusiasm and most of all trust and belief that the maternity team can deliver services fit for contemporary childbearing women.”
Charlotte McArdle, Director of Nursing, Primary Care & Older Peoples Services from the Trust was presented with the award at the tenth Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards ceremony on the 25th January 2012, at the Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, London.
For more information contact the RCM Press Office on 020 7312 3456, pressofficer@rcm.org.uk, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust on (028) 9056 4866, and NHS Employers on 020 7074 3308.
Notes to editors
(1) See www.nhsemployers.org/EmploymentPolicyAndPractice/staff-engagement/researchandreports/Pages/HighengagementscoreslinktofinancialefficienciesintheNHS.aspx
The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust currently employs approximately 12,000 staff and covers the areas of North Down & Ards and Down & Lisburn. The Trust is an integrated organisation incorporating acute hospital services, community health & social services which serves a population of approximately 345,000.
The Trust has three main hospitals, the Ulster Hospital, Lagan Valley Hospital and the
new Downe Hospital which recently opened in June 2009 and provides state of the art
facilities. There are also two community hospitals in Bangor & Ards. A new Critical Care
Complex has just opened on the Ulster Hospital site. The South Eastern HSC Trust is the first Trust in Northern Ireland to facilitate stand alone midwifery units which have been established at the Downpatrick and Lagan Valley hospital sites and a stand-along-side midwifery ward at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.
The Trust is committed to providing first class health & social care to the local population it
serves. www.setrust.hscni.net. Facebook: South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
The NHS Employers organisation is the voice of employers in the NHS, supporting them to put patients first. See www.nhsemployers.org for more information.
Follow Dean Royles on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NHSE_Dean
The Royal College of Midwives is the voice of midwifery. We are the UK’s only trade union and professional organisation led by midwives for midwives. The vast majority of the midwifery profession are our members. The RCM promotes midwifery, quality maternity services and professional standards. We support and represent our members individually and collectively in all four UK countries. We influence on behalf of our members and for the interests of the women and families for which they care. For more information visit the RCM website at www.rcm.org.uk.
