Downe’s maternity unit wins national accolade

Downe’s maternity unit wins national accolade

5 February 2014

THE Downe Hospital’s midwife-led maternity unit has won a major national award.

Staff at the unit were recently presented with the Royal College of Midwives’ Mothercare Maternity Service of the Year award for their innovative work to improve services during a ceremony in London.

The prestigious awards ceremony hosted by the Royal College of Midwifery recognises excellence in maternity services across the United Kingdom. Hospitals in Scotland and East Lancashire shared first place with the Downpatrick facility in the local midwife unit’s category.

The Downpatrick facility opened in 2010 with the number of births rising from 55 to just over 100 after three years. It offers choice to women who have no medical risk factors and comprises three fully equipped rooms, each with its own en-suite facilities and birthing pool. The Downpatrick unit has the capacity to deliver over 300 women a year.

The unit already offers antenatal and postnatal care, as well as a day assessment service, breast feeding support, parentcraft and active birth classes.

Sister Teresa McDowell said everyone at the midwife-led unit was “delighted and honoured” at receiving a prestigious award recognised across the United Kingdom.

“It is a tribute to the midwives and an acknowledgement of the innovative services we provide to women and their families in the local area,” she continued.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the GPs and the local community who have supported us to date and ask for their continued support in the future in order to build on our success.”

Eileen McEneaney, the South Eastern Trust’s Assistant Director of Woman and Child Health, congratulated the local midwives. She said they worked tirelessly to provide an “exceptional service” for women and their families at the Downe Hospital.

“The national RCM maternity services award recognises the huge commitment of the midwifery team in establishing and developing this wonderful service,” she continued.

“The Trust is very proud of the midwives who provide the midwifery-led service and fully supports the team and the service. It is essential that this high quality and nationally recognised service is used by women in the area.”

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, described winning the national award as a “a real achievement.” She said for three maternity services to each win first place was “unprecedented and a real accomplishment.”

She added: “Without midwives, their teams and colleagues from other health professions pushing at the boundaries of practice we would not see the care they are able to give to women, babies and their families improve and move forward.”