A NEW MODEL of care has been launched at Worcestershire Royal Hospital to ensure more mums-to-be see their named midwife or a midwife from a small team right throughout their pregnancy.
Trust midwives currently offer the majority routine antenatal care with named midwives but women in labour rarely know the midwife providing care during the birth.
The new Continuity of Carer model means women will have continuity with the person looking after them during their maternity journey – before, during and after the birth. This continuity of carer and the relationship has been proven to lead to better outcomes and safety for women and babies, as well as offering a more positive and personal experience.
The initial pilot, running in the Meadow Birth Centre since January, has offered the opportunity for a proportion of the county’s women to benefit from the scheme.
At the end of February two further continuity of carer case-loading teams were also launched. The midwives will book the women and care for them throughout their journey through the maternity unit and home births and continue care into in the postnatal period.
There are plans to further roll out the model across the county over the next two years.
Caitlin Wilson, consultant midwife and lead for the Continuity of Carer work, said the model formed a key part of ‘Better Births’.
The National Maternity Review report sets out a vision for safe and personalised maternity services throughout England which put the needs of women, their babies and the families at the heart of care with staff who are supported to deliver a continuously improving high quality care.
“The launch of the new model has been the result of a lot of hard work from maternity staff and we’re really looking forward to hearing the feedback from the first mums who are cared for as part of this new model,” she added.
