Mums to be in and around Pelsall can expect a more personalised approach to their care thanks to a ‘Continuity of Carer’ initiative that has been launched at Pelsall Village Centre.
The service, which has been set up by the Walsall Together Partnership, will see pregnant ladies and their families given their own dedicated midwifery team who will support them throughout their pregnancy, during their birth and into the early stages of parenthood.
Daren Fradgley, Director of Integration for Walsall Healthcare Trust, said: “We are so pleased to offer a more joined up and personal approach to mums at such an important milestone in their lives. It has many benefits including more co-ordinated care with a single team ensuring all the needs of a woman and her baby are met, less hospital appointments as care is delivered in the community wherever possible, reduction in miscarriages and pre-term births and more positive outcomes for women knowing they have someone they trust and feel comfortable with supporting them all the way through their pregnancy, birth and during those first special days and weeks.”
Carla Jones-Charles, Divisional Director of Midwifery for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “I’m pleased that we are able to introduce this service to women and their families within Walsall. This is part of the national transformation program. The plans will be to extend this to more moms across Walsall in the coming months. It is important that we deliver on and provide options of choice for our women to ensure patients receive the best care possible to enhance their overall patient experience”
Hannah Platten, Interim Better Births Lead Midwife, said: “We are really excited to be part of this new approach to caring for our pregnant ladies. One of the key elements of our job is to build a relationship with our moms to be so they feel able to talk to us about their pregnancy and birth choices and raise any concerns they have confidently. Continuity of care also means we have a more in-depth knowledge of their individual needs so we can provide a personalised and holistic service and they don’t have to keep explaining their history to a different midwife every time they have an appointment. I am really proud of the dedication and enthusiasm shown by the Harmony Midwifery Team as we embark on this new way of working.”
The service has been introduced in response to the recommendations from the National Better Births Review (2016) and builds on the success of a Continuity of Carer model implemented by the Wyndlow Team within the Walsall Healthcare Trust Midwifery-led unit.
The model has been shown to offer major benefits for mothers and babies including significant reduction in miscarriages and pre-term births. National evidence shows that women who receive continuity of carer are:
- 7 times more likely to be attended at birth by a known midwife
- fewer antenatal admissions and shorter postnatal stay
- 16% less likely to lose their baby
- 24% less likely to experience pre-term birth
