Pictured: Maternity staff at Burnley Women and Newborn's Centre meeting NHS England’s new Chief Midwifery Officer, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent
NHS England’s new Chief Midwifery Officer, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, gave East Lancashire the honour of being one of her first official visits.
Professor Dunkley-Bent became the country’s senior midwife earlier this year and immediately accepted an invitation to visit the Lancashire Women’s and Newborn Centre to see for herself how staff in the Trust’s Maternity Services ensure better care for parents and babies.
The Centre is run by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT), the first in the UK to receive the UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Accreditation in 2018. Staff involved in achieving the accreditation presented the programme of work to Professor Dunkley-Bent and her colleagues.
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of Chief Midwifery Awards to several of East Lancashire Hospitals’ outstanding Maternity Services staff. Midwives Maria Williamson, Louise Slater, Sarah Johnson, the Central Birth Suite and the Antenatal Ward Team received silver awards, and a gold award was presented to Baby Friendly Lead, Sue Henry.
The Awards recognise performance that goes above and beyond the everyday role that a midwife is expected to perform in their current role. Recipients demonstrate midwifery excellence in clinical practice, leadership in the development of services, delivery of outstanding woman/family- centred care or championing of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Sue Henry, ELHT’s Baby Friendly Lead who received a Gold Chief Midwifery Award, said: “I am honoured to have received this award from Professor Dunkley-Bent. I have been a midwife for 25 years, and I couldn’t be prouder of the achievements we have made as a Trust, which have made a big difference to expectant and new mums, and their families, across East Lancashire.
“I hope to continue this good work in the future, and we would welcome Professor Dunkley-Bent and her team back to visit our services anytime!”
And Professor Dunkley-Bent wasted no time in returning to the area with a visit to Blackburn Birth Centre late last month where she toured the facilities, met staff and learnt more about the services the centre provides to women in the community before, during and after they have given birth.
“Throughout my time as a midwife and nurse in our NHS, I’ve seen first-hand the life-changing difference that the care of midwives can make to children and parents.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to some of the maternity services provided in East Lancashire, and it was a pleasure to present awards to staff and teams who are so passionate about what they do. I hope to see the continuation and development of these brilliant services when I next return to East Lancashire!”